India, Jan. 25 -- Heavy snowfall across the western Himalayan region over the past 48 hours triggered widespread disruption in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Kashmir, leading to 15-km-long traffic jams near Manali, power outages, road blockages and large-scale stranding of tourists and residents.

In Himachal Pradesh, fresh snowfall ended a prolonged dry spell but severely affected daily life, particularly in tourist hubs such as Shimla and Manali.

Slippery roads and heavy tourist inflow during the long Republic Day weekend resulted in massive traffic snarls, with vehicles crawling for hours.

Over 600 tourists were stranded near Manali, many of whom spent the night inside their vehicles after traffic came to a standstill.

"We remain...