Following heavy snowfall in the Bharmour subdivision of Himachal Pradesh, a glacier collapsed late Tuesday night and crashed into the Ot Nala area of Pulan Panchayat.
The incident caused significant damage to vehicles and roadside shops, triggering widespread panic among residents.According to officials, the collapse occurred around 1:30 a.m., striking two parked pick-up jeeps and three shops. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, as the drivers had parked the vehicles earlier in the evening and returned home.
The affected vehicles, bearing registration numbers HP-38F-7066 and HP-73-8462, were goods carriers from Bharmour parked near Ot Nala. The force of the falling glacier pushed both vehicles—along with their loaded goods—into a deep ravine.
As of now, the vehicles remain unrecovered.The three damaged shops belong to Ghadlo Devi, wife of Jaihari Ram from Pulan village. One of the buried pick-up trucks was hers, while the other belonged to Bunty, also a resident of Pulan village.Local administration and police teams rushed to the site immediately after the incident and began search operations along with damage assessment to locate the buried vehicles and evaluate the extent of destruction.
Pulan Panchayat president Anita Kapoor confirmed the event, stating that she visited the site to assess the situation and coordinate relief efforts.Local villagers noted that a glacier of this magnitude had not collapsed in the area in nearly 50 years, leaving residents fearful and anxious.
The incident came amid exceptionally heavy snowfall in the region. The area recorded 3 to 4 feet of snow on January 23 and 24, followed by more than two feet of fresh snowfall on the night of the collapse.Authorities have issued warnings to residents to exercise caution, emphasizing that unstable snow and glacier conditions in the higher reaches continue to pose serious risks.