Landslide blocks Shimla-Kalka National Highway, hundreds of vehicles stranded

Shimla: The Shimla-Kalka National Highway (NH- 22) was blocked on Saturday following a massive landslide near Jabli between Parwanoo and Dharampur, bringing vehicular traffic to a halt.

The landslide on the road where construction work was underway occurred around 3:00 am last night and the road is still blocked.

DSP Parwanoo Bhisham said that the road had been partially opened for one-way traffic but there was no respite for the commuters.

Hundreds of vehicles including apple-laden trucks were stranded on both sides of the blockade and the national highway authorities and public works department were working on war footing to clear the road, he said.

The traffic has also been diverted through Kausali-Bhojnagar and Jangeshu routes to ease traffic congestion.

The people in Shimla, Solan and upper areas remained without newspapers, milk, vegetables and bread as the supplies did not reach.

The highway has become highly landslide-prone due to massive cutting of fragile hills and low retaining walls and breast walls which are incapable of holding the strata.