Tourists rushing to Himachal to enjoy the snow

In spite of road blockades and disruption of water and power supply, tourists are rushing to Shimla, Kufri and Manali in hordes to enjoy the snow.
According to statistics released by police, 68,000 vehicles crossed JP toll Plaza, 35,000 vehicles crossed Parwanoo barrier while 37,000 vehicles entered Shimla from Shoghi barrier during past 48 hours.
The tourists are making a beeline to Kufri and other surrounding areas to enjoy the snow and the famous Ridge and Mall Road areas, covered under thick carpet of snow has become a major attraction.
Manali today received 4 cm of fresh snow.
Kharapatthar in Shimla had received 90 cm of fresh snow yesterday while Dhundi got 58 cm, followed by Solang Nallah 50 cm, Bhang 43 cm and Kalpa 23 cm.

A piercing cold wave was sweeping most parts of Himachal Pradesh as tribal areas and other higher hills virtually froze today with minimum temperatures plummeting and staying betweenminus 13 and minus 18 degree Celsius.

Meanwhile, on a call received from Petroleum ministry that some people from the ministry were stranded in snow near Shimla, a team of Sashastra Seema Bal(SSB) today evacuated 230 people stranded in snow between Fagu and Kufri.
"We received a call from the ministry that 130 people (including officers in the petroleum ministry and their families) were struck in snow," following which we rushed to the spot from SSB telecom training centre Kasumpti.

Apart from these 130 stranded tourists were also rescued, said a spokesman of SSB.