Himachal flash floods: Commuters stranded as highway blocked
National Highway-21, which connects Chandigarh with Manali, is expected to reopen for traffic in seven-eight hours, Mandi administration officials said. Commuters wait for the clearing of blocked Chandigarh-Manali highway following a landslide triggered by floods in Himachal Pradesh, in Mandi district, Monday, Jun 26, 2023. SHIMLA/MANDI: Hundreds of commuters were stranded near Aut in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district as the Chandigarh-Manali highway was blocked following flash floods and landslides, officials said on Monday. Flash floods were witnessed in Khotinallah near Aut on the Pandoh-Kullu stretch due to a heavy downpour and the commuters have been stranded since Sunday evening. Officials of the Mandi administration said restoration work is underway and explosives are being used to blast heavy boulders blocking roads on the stretch. National Highway-21, which connects Chandigarh with Manali, is expected to reopen for traffic in seven-eight hours, they said. The c...