Several commuters stranded as floods block highway in Himachal Pradesh

Hundreds of commuters were stranded in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district as the Chandigarh-Manali national highway was blocked following flash floods and landslides, officials said on Monday.

The 70-km Mandi-Pandoh-Kullu stretch has been badly affected, they said.

A total of 301 roads are closed in the state following heavy rains, while 140 power transformers are disrupted.

Flash floods were witnessed in Khotinallah near Aut, about 40 km from Mandi town, on the Pandoh-Kullu stretch due to a heavy downpour and the commuters have been stranded since Sunday evening.

The alternative Mandi-Kullu route via Katola, blocked due to landslide, has been opened after almost 20 hours and small vehicles are now being diverted through this stretch, said the officials of the Mandi administration.

The Mandi-Pandoh stretch was blocked near 6 Miles after a landslide. The officials said restoration work is underway and explosives are being used to blast heavy boulders blocking roads on this stretch.