Shimla witnesses highest snowfall in a single day in 15 years, 73 students rescued

Shimala, the Queen of Hills, recorded the highest snowfall on a single day in January in the past 15 years, a Met official said on Wednesday.

Manmohan Singh, director of the meteorological office, said the town recorded 44.5cm of snowfall on January 22, the highest in the first month of the year since 2004. “The maximum snow in 24 hours in January was previously recorded in 2004. It was 57.7 cm on January 23,” he said.

He said snow and heavy rain in the region in the last two days was mainly due to induced cyclonic circulation with the western disturbances.

Meanwhile in Kufri, army jawans, police rescued 87 persons including 73 school children who were stuck for hours at the National Highway 5 in Kufri, 17km from Shimla, which recorded 55cm of snowfall in 24 hours.

Students from Lucknow’s Maac animation institute were stuck in snow in Kufri. “Student who had come on a study tour had gone out to experience snowfall when their buses got stuck on snow-covered roads,” deputy superintendent of police Dinesh Kumar said.

Snow has brought misery for the tribals in Kinnaur district the entire district plunged into darkness after the power supply lines got damaged due to intermittent spell of snow on Tuesday night. As per PWD, 690 roads were closed in Himachal after heavy snowfall. With most tourist resorts wrapped in white, the hospitality industry in Kangra and Chamba is expecting a tourist rush on coming weekend.

Dalhousie in Chamba district has recorded heaviest snowfall in the state at 100cm in 48 hours.

Keylong was the coldest place with minimum temperature recorded at -11° Celsius followed by Dalhousie at -2.9° C, Kalpa -2.8° C, Kufri -2.7° C, Manali -1.6°C and Mandi -1°C.