Manali-Leh highway closed after landslides
By IANSFriday, August 6, 2010
MANALI - The strategic Manali-Leh National Highway 21 was temporarily closed to vehicular traffic following landslides at various locations along the highway, an official said here Friday.
The 475 km highway, connecting Manali in Himachal Pradesh to Leh in Jammu and Kashmir, was closed Thursday night due to heavy rains, triggering massive landslides, a government official said.
The majestic Rohtang Pass at an attitude of 13,050 feet has also been closed to the traffic.
He said men from the General Reserve Engineering Force (GREF) have been deployed to clear snow on the highway.
GREF is a wing of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) that maintains the highway.
The highway plays an important role in the movement of the armed forces to areas in Ladakh bordering China.
