A group of 30 members from the Hyderabad Adventure Club got stuck at Darcha because of landslides blocking the road in both directions. They had started their road trip to Manali-Ladakh on July 6 from Chandigarh on rented motorcycles. On July 8, the group split into two sub-groups. The first subgroup had to stay at the Darcha check post due to heavy rainfall, while the second subgroup reached their destination but got stranded because of landslides.
The weather was extreme with 1 to 1.5 feet of snow on the ground and temperatures between zero and one degree Celsius. They were not prepared for snow and heavy rainfall, which made it difficult for them to proceed. One of the group members, Pranay, turned to Twitter to share their experience, which caught the attention of Telangana IT and MA&UD Minister KT Rama Rao. The Minister instructed the Resident Commissioner’s Office at Telangana Bhavan in New Delhi to assist the stranded group.
Officials from Telangana Bhavan contacted Pranay and provided information about alternative routes. They also coordinated with the local administration to find accessible routes. Tourists from AP and Telangana who were stranded in other parts of Himachal were also added to a WhatsApp group created by Telangana Bhavan.
The co-organizer of Hyderabad Adventure Group, Sai Murthy Mallula, stated that the team is safe but has received no assistance from either the Himachal Pradesh or Telangana governments. However, one team member mentioned that the group did not take enough precautions despite it being a natural disaster.
