New Delhi. 26 September 2018. Border Roads Organisation (BRO) on war footing started clearing various axes. Today from Project Rohtang Tunnel, team under Maj Shashi Chauhan and Capt Aashish Singla along with machinery were deployed to clear road axis upto Shishu and Koksar in Lahaul Valley to supplement efforts of 70 RCC of 38 BRTF .  By evening approx. 300 people from Shishu and Koksarhave been rescued out from Lahaul Valley to Solang in Manali through Rohtang Tunnel. The rescued people include faculty and students from IIT Mandi, IITsRoorkee, Guwahati and Mumbai and some foreigners on trekking besides locals from Himachal Pradesh.

BRO also provided medical aid and refreshment to rescued people at Project Rohtang Tunnel.  Co-ordination has been done with civil administration to safely take the rescued individuals to Manali and further to their destination. Rohtang Tunnel which is under construction by BRO contributed immensely to evacuate and rescue stranded persons from Lahaul Valley to Manali.

Rescue efforts will continue for next few days until all stranded persons are evacuated and safely taken out from Lahaul & Spiti Valley. Early snowfall in higher reaches, cloud burst and heavy rain devastated large parts of Himachal Pradesh from 22 to 24 Sep 2018. Kullu district and Lahaul-Spiti were worst affected.  Also due to heavy snowfall on Rohtang Pass, Lahaul and Spiti Valley have been cut off, which affected large number of tourist who have gone to Leh and Lahaul Valley in Himachal Pradesh. They have been stranded at number of isolated locations.