NH-5 remains blocked due to landslides in HP

National Highway 5 in Himachal Pradesh remained blocked on Friday as efforts to clear the route were hindered by landslides caused by incessant rainfall, an official said.

The highway, which connects Ferozepur in Punjab to the Sino-India border at Shipki La, was blocked on Wednesday night after snowfall in Kinnaur district, he said.

A bridge in Kinnaur's Urni village between Tapri and Choling on NH 5 had been damaged due to landslides, Executive Engineer, National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), Prakash Negi told PTI.

He said efforts are on to repair the damaged bridge but incessant rain and continuous landslides are causing hindrance in the work.

Besides, the Aut-Sainj route (NH-305) was also blocked at Jalori Pass after snowfall, Negi added.

Meanwhile, there was snowfall in the high reaches of the state and some other parts received rainfall for the second consecutive day, Shimla Meteorological Centre Director Manmohan Singh said.

He said in the last 24 hours, Gondla received the highest snowfall at 60 cm, followed by 30 cm in Keylong, 20 cm in Kothi, 13 cm each in Kalpa and Khadrala and 8 cm in Kufri.

Rainfall occurred at most places with heavy downpour at isolated places in Hamirpur, Bilaspur and Kangra districts, Singh said.

Hamirpur received 79 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours, followed by Bilaspur (76 mm).

Nadaun recorded 69 mm rain, Nurpur (68 mm) and Naina Devi and Kasauli (55 mm each), he said.

There was 52 mm rainfall in Dharamshala , Baijnath (38 mm), Palampur (37 mm), Jogindernagar (34 mm), Solan (29 mm) and Shimla (21.2 mm), Singh added.

Minimum temperatures at most places in the sate decreased by 1-2 degrees Celsius and Keylong was the coldest location in the state at minus 3 degrees Celsius, he said.