266 stranded in Himachal's Chandertal evacuated after 5 days

All 266 people were on Thursday evacuated from Chandratal, a glacial lake located at a height of 14,100 feet in flood-hit Himachal Pradesh's Lahaul-Spiti district, in one of the most challenging overnight rescue operations, officials familiar with the matter said. The tourists were stranded near the lake since July 8 after heavy snowfall and landslides blocked all routes.

- Gaurav Bisht

According to the State Disaster Management Authority, a 40-member rescue team, comprising police personnel and district administration officials, began the rescue operation around 2 am and worked overnight to clear the road from Gramphu to Kaza, which was blocked due to heavy snowfall and landslides.