One tourist died while three others were injured when a vehicle they were travelling in crashed near the northern portal of the Atal Tunnel in Manali on Wednesday.
The deceased has been identified as Kailash (34), hailing from Rajasthan's Sikar.
The three individuals who were injured are Aditya from Lakhimpur, Uttar Pradesh; Rajendra and Siddharth, the driver, both from Sikar.
As per police officials, they were travelling to Lahaul from Manali on Tuesday night when the accident occurred.
After exiting the north portal of the Atal Tunnel at around 10 pm, the vehicle, a black Scoprio, veered off the road and plunged towards the Chandra river flowing below. It has been alleged that the driver was overspeeding, and misjudged negotiating the turn, crashing into a bridge under construction over the river.
As per Mukesh Rathour, the Sissu Station House Officer, the injured are currently undergoing treatment, while the body of the deceased has been taken into custody. His family has also been informed of the matter, and they will receive the body once the autopsy is carried out.
Tourists have been urged by the police to avoid overspeeding as well as night travel in the hills, especially during the rainy season when there's a high chance of roads being slippery and night visibility being poor.
Himachal minister calls for coordinated action to address Atal tunnel traffic congestion
Himachal Pradesh Revenue Minister and senior Congress leader Jagat Singh Negi had last month called for coordinated action by all stakeholders to address growing traffic congestion and safety concerns at the Atal Tunnel-Rohtang while dismissing reports of self-styled tax collection at the Punjab-Himachal border as publicity-driven acts.
"There is heavy traffic, and there is a need to rethink our carrying capacity. We need to think seriously about this, as well as about the facilities we have available. Keeping all these things in mind, we have to consider the carrying capacity, " he had then said, as per ANI.
He said the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), state government, police authorities and other stakeholders must work in coordination to ensure the tunnel remains safe and efficient for commuters.
Tourists rescued near Himachal's Ghepan Lake
A couple of tourists who were stranded near the Ghepan Lake in Himachal Pradesh at an altitude of 13,600 feet were rescued by police, local guides, and fire services officials last Thursday.
The lake, located in the Lahaul and Spiti district, is around 17 km from Sissu, as per officials who spoke to PTI.
The rescued tourists, both from Mandi district, were later identified as Ajay Kumar and Harshit Thakur.
On Tuesday around 9.40 pm, the in-charge of Keylong sub-fire station, Ratna Sharma, received information from the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) about two tourists stranded in the area.
Sharma immediately formed a rescue team comprising personnel from the fire station, police and local guides and dispatched them to Sissu police station with the necessary equipment, the officials said.
The joint team, along with three police personnel and a local guide, began the rescue operation on foot around 11.30 pm and trekked nearly 13 km through a rugged mountain route, they said.
With agency inputs