Chaos on Mandi highway: Army tanker overturns, triggers 4-hr jam

Traffic came to a standstill on the Pathankot-Mandi National Highway on Saturday after an Army tanker overturned near Banoru, about 7 km from Palampur, triggering a massive jam that lasted over four hours.

Following the early morning accident, vehicles including buses, trucks and private cars began piling up in both directions. By afternoon, the traffic congestion had stretched to over 3 km. The situation worsened due to the administration’s failure to promptly clear the highway. Despite the chaos, no police officers were seen on-site to manage traffic or direct vehicles to alternate routes.

Commuters bore the brunt of the mismanagement. Rajesh Bhardwaj, a traveler bound for Delhi, said, “We’ve been stuck here for nearly two hours. I was supposed to catch a flight to Mumbai from Chandigarh, but I’m not sure if I’ll make it.”

Another tourist, en route from Bir Billing to Delhi, expressed frustration over missing his 2.30 pm flight from Gaggal Airport due to the gridlock. Dozens of school buses, carrying children after schools closed for the day around 2.30 pm, were also seen stranded on the highway.

Repeated attempts to contact the Kangra SP, Palampur SDM and Palampur DSP were unsuccessful, as their phones were either switched off or went unanswered. At the time of filing this report, traffic had not yet been restored.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident earlier in the day, a motorcyclist was killed after being hit by a private bus near Paror, approximately 10 km from Palampur. Following the accident, the victim’s relatives blocked the highway in protest, demanding immediate action against the bus driver. The Bhawarna police reached the scene and convinced the agitated crowd to clear the road. A case under Section 304A of the IPC has been registered against the bus driver, who was later arrested. The body of the deceased has been sent to Palampur Civil Hospital for post-mortem.

Himachal Tribune