Tourists in HP's Spiti Valley shifted to safer places, 650 roads closed as snow, rain lash state

As many as 81 tourists stranded in Himachal Pradesh's Spiti Valley due to the closure of roads after heavy snowfall have been shifted to safer places, police said on Monday.

Meanwhile, over 650 roads, including five national highways, in the state remained closed for vehicular movement on Monday following several avalanches and landslides caused by incessant rain and snow for the past three days, according to the state emergency operation centre.

The 81 tourists stranded in Spiti Valley in Lahaul and Spiti district were on Sunday night shifted to and accommodated in different hotels and homestays there, the police said in a statement. About 290 roads are blocked in this tribal district and several areas have been without electricity for the past two days, the statement said.