Police rescued around 5,000 tourists stranded at Solang Nala, a ski resort in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu on Friday, amid heavy snowfall in the state.

Several parts of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh on Friday received heavy snowfall, leading to traffic snarls in several places. Under the influence of a western disturbance, light to moderate snowfall was recorded in most areas of Kashmir,

Heavy snowfall in Himachal Pradesh closed 226 roads and three national highways, with significant disruptions in Shimla, Lahaul, and Kullu. IMD predicted light snow for higher reaches of Jammu and Kas

While people are getting to experience ‘white Christmas’ in Shimla, Manali and other tourist hubs of Himachal, snowfall has led to closure of over 200 roads.

The inclement weather and deadly conditions on the road en route to hill stations like Shimla, Kullu, Mandi, and Chamba didn't deter the tourists at all, with room occupancy in Shimla at 70 per cent

Traffic came to a standstill on roads leading to popular tourist spots like Manali and Shimla, causing major congestion.