India, Jan. 25 -- Sudden and heavy snowfall across the Himalayan region over the last 48 hours has triggered widespread disruptions, with hundreds of vehicles and people stranded, roads blocked and power disruptions in several high-altitude areas of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Kashmir.

In Himachal Pradesh, the heavy snowfall has ended a prolonged dry spell in the state but triggered a crisis in the Kullu-Manali region. As of Saturday, the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) reported 683 roads, including two National Highways (NH-03 and NH-505), blocked. In Kullu alone, 79 roads are shut and 587 transformers are down.

The rush to see snow created a 15-km traffic jam near Manali, forcing many to abandon their vehicles. Video...