At least 300 stranded tourists were rescued in India’s northern Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh after a delayed spell of heavy snowfall left drivers trapped inside a high-altitude tunnel.

Around 50 vehicles and a tourist bus were stranded in the Atal Tunnel through the Rohtang Pass in Himachal Pradesh for hours after snowfall in many parts of the northern region of the country on Tuesday.

An orange alert has been issued by the country’s federal weather agency for snowfall in the higher mountains and rains in other parts of the state over the next 48 hours.

“Around 50 vehicles and one Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus got stuck near the South Portal (SP) of ATR (Attal Tunnel Rohtang), in which 300 tourists were travelling. All tourists have been evacuated from ATR,” police officer Sakshi Verma said.

Videos showed dozens of cars lined up on the highway as snow continued to fall. People and police personnel tried to help those stranded near the Atal Tunnel, said to be world’s longest high-altitude highway tunnel.

#WATCH | Police rescue 300 tourists stranded near the South Portal of #AtalTunnel in #Rohtang after snowfall

(📹ANI)#Kullu #HimachalPradesh pic.twitter.com/He1Vvz50cV

— Hindustan Times (@htTweets) January 31, 2024