Manali, Jan. 25 -- Heavy snowfall over the past 48 hours has brought life in Manali to a standstill, with national highways blocked and hundreds of tourists stranded in freezing conditions.

Continuous snow accumulation of nearly one to two feet, along with dangerous black icing on roads, has completely halted traffic movement on key highway stretches. Around 7 to 8 kilometres of the national highway near Manali remains blocked, forcing many tourists to abandon their vehicles and walk long distances through deep snow.

Several visitors attempting to reach Manali were forced to trek 10-20 kilometres while carrying luggage, making the journey extremely exhausting, especially for children and elderly passengers. Meanwhile, tourists trying to...