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.

• #CHANDERTAL rescue operation..
  Hats off to the team. pic.twitter.com/YqXy1s8lMi

  — Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (@SukhuSukhvinder) July 13, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  #CHANDERTAL rescue operation..
  Hats off to the team. pic.twitter.com/YqXy1s8lMi

  — Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (@SukhuSukhvinder) July 13, 2023

  ">

  #CHANDERTAL rescue operation..
  Hats off to the team. pic.twitter.com/YqXy1s8lMi

  — Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (@SukhuSukhvinder) July 13, 2023

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.

• All 256 stranded tourists have been successfully rescued from Chandra Taal lake and have safely reached Losar. I extend my heartfelt appreciation to the team led by Hon'ble Minister Jagat Negi and CPS @SanjayAwasthy for their exceptional efforts in orchestrating this challenging… https://t.co/Sx0hNSzmOq

  — Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (@SukhuSukhvinder) July 13, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  All 256 stranded tourists have been successfully rescued from Chandra Taal lake and have safely reached Losar. I extend my heartfelt appreciation to the team led by Hon'ble Minister Jagat Negi and CPS @SanjayAwasthy for their exceptional efforts in orchestrating this challenging… https://t.co/Sx0hNSzmOq

  — Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (@SukhuSukhvinder) July 13, 2023

  ">

  All 256 stranded tourists have been successfully rescued from Chandra Taal lake and have safely reached Losar. I extend my heartfelt appreciation to the team led by Hon'ble Minister Jagat Negi and CPS @SanjayAwasthy for their exceptional efforts in orchestrating this challenging… https://t.co/Sx0hNSzmOq

  — Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (@SukhuSukhvinder) July 13, 2023

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.

• "Successful rescue operation in Kasol!
  Grateful to our dedicated team for safely evacuating all stranded tourists to secure locations. Ensuring their well-being was our top priority. Thanks to everyone involved in this swift and efficient operation. #RescueMission… pic.twitter.com/fOR9yE6bNh

  — Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (@SukhuSukhvinder) July 13, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  "Successful rescue operation in Kasol!
  Grateful to our dedicated team for safely evacuating all stranded tourists to secure locations. Ensuring their well-being was our top priority. Thanks to everyone involved in this swift and efficient operation. #RescueMission… pic.twitter.com/fOR9yE6bNh

  — Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (@SukhuSukhvinder) July 13, 2023

  ">

  "Successful rescue operation in Kasol!
  Grateful to our dedicated team for safely evacuating all stranded tourists to secure locations. Ensuring their well-being was our top priority. Thanks to everyone involved in this swift and efficient operation. #RescueMission… pic.twitter.com/fOR9yE6bNh

  — Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (@SukhuSukhvinder) July 13, 2023

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.