Keylong: A major landslide in Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul valley has damaged the Jahlma bridge on the Keylong-Udaipur road, completely snapping connectivity between 14 panchayats and the remote Pangi valley with Keylong and Manali.
According to officials, massive boulders crashing down from a nearby hill struck the bridge on the SKTT road near Jahlma, triggering a complete suspension of vehicular movement in the area. Several tourists and commuters have been stranded on both sides of the road following the incident.
Local authorities, including Lahaul-Spiti MLA and administrative officials, rushed to the spot after receiving information about the landslide. Border Roads Organisation (BRO) teams have also reached the site and are working on creating an alternative route to restore traffic movement.
Officials said the hillside had been witnessing intermittent rockfall for the past three days. In view of the danger, the administration had earlier restricted vehicular movement on the route between 7 am and 7 pm on Tuesday. However, after a larger portion of the hill gave way, the road has now been completely blocked.
Deputy Commissioner and Chairperson of the District Disaster Management Authority, Kiran Bhadana, said the district administration had already issued an advisory banning night-time vehicular movement near Jahlma Nallah as a precautionary measure.
“As per BRO, work on preparing an alternative route is underway on a war footing and is likely to be completed by this evening,” she said, urging locals and travellers to avoid unnecessary movement in the affected area and cooperate with the administration.
The administration has appealed to people to strictly follow safety advisories until the situation stabilises.
