Shimla-Chandigarh highway reopens for traffic

The Shimla-Chandigarh National Highway 5, which was blocked for over 12 hours after a major landslide in Himachal Pradesh's Solan district, was opened for traffic on Tuesday, police said.

The single-lane traffic movement on both sides of the Shimla-Chandigarh highway is being facilitated at Koti, Sanwara and Chakkimod, said HP Traffic, Tourist and Railways Police in a tweet.

A large portion of the highway was caved in near Chakkimod in Solan district.

Also due to heavy rain, the crucial bridge on the National Highway 105, linking Pinjore with Baddi, was damaged, hampering the movement of the traffic.

Rail traffic on the Kalka-Shimla track, a world heritage site in Himachal Pradesh, will remain suspended on Tuesday owing to mudslides on tracks following heavy rainfall, officials said.

Landslides were also reported at several places along the tracks in Solan district, some 65 km from the state capital.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu said torrential monsoon rains have claimed 17 lives in the state and the damage to property is estimated at over Rs 3,000 crore. (IANS/NJ)