Eight killed as strong winds lash snow-bound Rohtang Pass (Lead)

Eight people were killed Friday as they were caught in high velocity winds near the snow-capped Rohtang Pass in Himachal Pradesh, an official said. Seven of the victims were from Jharkhand.

Over 75 people, mostly labourers, were caught in strong winds in the snow-bound area at around 1.30 p.m. near the Rohtang Pass (13,050 feet), Deputy Commissioner (Kullu) B.M. Nanta told IANS. They were crossing the pass on foot.

"Eight people died on the spot and others managed to escape. They were coming from the Lahaul valley (in Lahaul and Spiti district). They died due to the extreme cold conditions," he said.

"They were advised against crossing the Rohtang Pass on foot as the region has witnessed more than five feet of snow, but they went against the warning," the official said.

A total of 67 labourers have been now taken to Marhi, some 35 km from Manali, and the administration is providing them treatment and warm clothes, officials said.

The Rohtang Pass, the gateway to the Lahaul valley, has been closed to traffic since Nov 9 due to heavy snowfall.

More than 300 people, including government officials, have been stranded across the Lahaul valley since Nov 9. These labourers were also stranded in the valley since then.

S.K. Doon of the General Reserve Engineering Force (GREF), a government agency that maintains the Manali-Leh highway that passes through Rohtang Pass, said the snow clearing work has been going on for the past 11 days.

"Work is on to clear the snow from the Rohtang Pass but extreme climatic conditions are hampering the operations," he said.

"It will take more time to reopen the pass for traffic," he added.

The Rohtang Pass, located 52 km from here, experiences harsh weather. A sudden drop in temperatures even in summer can trigger winter-like conditions.

Last updated on Nov 20^th, 2009 at 20:13 pm IST--IANS