Kullu: The higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh got their first snowfall of the season on Thursday but it turned deadly for Buddhist pilgrims on the high-altitude Drilbu Ri Parikrama route near Keylong in Lahaul Spiti. Two of them died and at least 11 were injured when a sudden snowstorm engulfed them.Both the deceased are women — Dawa Doma Bhutia, 74, from Darjeeling in West Bengal and Keylong’s Yangzin, 61. They were killed when they slipped and fell on the snowbound path, said a statement from Lahaul Spiti administration.Some 300 devotees set off on the circumambulatory trek to Drilbu Ri kora, located at a height of 4,400 metres, around 2am, but the weather deteriorated suddenly. The region experienced “sudden and severe snowfall” between 4:30 am and 5:00 am, said a statement from the administration.The combination of snow, poor weather and high altitude compounded difficulties for devotees. Police and locals rescued the stranded pilgrims. Several of them were brought to Keylong Regional Hospital with symptoms of hypothermia.It snowed in Kullu, Chamba, Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur districts on Thursday, the sharp change in weather causing temperatures to plummet across the state by up to 6 degrees Celsius. Rohtang Pass received around 4 inches of snow. Baralacha and Shinkula also got snowfall.In Chamba, the high-altitude Sach Pass was blanketed in white. Manimahesh in Bharmour also received 4 inches of snow, while about 3 inches was recorded at Gauri Kund, prompting the administration to suspend the Manimahesh Yatra. However, as weather conditions improved, the yatra was allowed later in the day.Snowfall disrupted connectivity in Chamba. The Bairagarh-Sach Pass-Killar road was completely blocked, cutting off Pangi Valley from Chamba district headquarters.According to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), 60 roads were blocked across the state on Thursday, the most in Mandi (33), followed by 10 in Kangra.
