A holiday trip to Spiti Valley has turned into an ordeal for a group of 20 tourists from Kerala who remain stranded in Kalpa, Himachal Pradesh, after heavy rains triggered multiple landslides in the region. The group, which also includes three people from Tamil Nadu and two from Gujarat, has been unable to leave the area as several key road links have either collapsed or been blocked by debris.
Remote Location With No Medical Facilities
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Jisan Sam Oommen, a member of the group and a social media influencer from Kochi, highlighted the pressing issue of limited medical access.
“Kalpa is a remote village with no hospital. Some members of our group depend on daily medication, and in case of an emergency, we will have no one to rely on,” Jisan said.
One member of the group has been traveling with ambulance support, further complicating the situation as the roads remain cut off.
Journey Interrupted
The tourists had completed their visit to Spiti and were heading toward Delhi via Shimla to catch flights back home when the landslides occurred. After traveling nearly 50 km from Kalpa, they were informed that the road ahead had been washed away. Locals advised them to return, forcing the group to stay back in Kalpa since August 25.
The group members hail from across Kerala, including Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kasaragod, and Malappuram districts, along with participants from Tamil Nadu and Gujarat.
Help Promised
With rain continuing in Himachal Pradesh and fresh landslides being reported, the stranded tourists remain uncertain about when the roads will reopen. Jisan added that Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar and Kerala BJP leader Shone George had reached out to them and assured assistance in coordinating rescue or relief efforts.
For now, the group continues to wait in Kalpa, hoping for safer travel conditions so they can resume their journey back home.