256 tourists rescued from Himachal Pradesh's Chandratal, CM lauds rescue team

Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu informed that all 256 tourists who were stranded in Chandratal in Himachal Pradesh have been rescued. He congratulated the rescue team for successfully completing this challenging operation amid harsh weather conditions

Shimla:Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday said over 60,000 tourists, who were stranded in rain-ravaged areas of the state have been rescued till now. Also, the state government has managed to evacuate nearly 256 stranded tourists from Chandratal in Lahaul Spiti, which is among the most difficult terrains.

"Hats off to the team", posted Sukhu while sharing a video of the challenging rescue operation that was conducted in Chandratal. It was a huge challenge for the government to evacuate these people from Chandratal but, with the continuous efforts of the rescue team all those trapped have been successfully rescued, Suhkhu said.

He thanked the rescue team including cabinet minister Jagat Negi and CPS Sanjay Awasthi for successfully completing this tough rescue operation amid harsh weather conditions. He said that all were brought safely to Losar. "The dedication of our ministers, officers and frontline workers was crucial in making this mission a success", he said.

Lahaul Spiti police officials who accompanied the rescue team said that the road was covered with 3 to 4 ft snow which had to be cleared in order to reach the spot. It took over an hour to clear snow, officials said.

These 256 tourists had gone on trekking in the inaccessible areas of Lahaul Spiti district and got stranded near Chandratal following inclement weather. The tourists have been brought to Losar and they will now be sent to their homes.

Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh government has airlifted nine foreign tourists from Sangla to Shimla and the Indian Air Force evacuated 118 tourists who were stranded due to landslides and flash floods over the past week. Sukhu on Thursday tweeted that over 60,000 tourists have been evacuated till now.