Record 5,450 vehicles cross Atal Tunnel on Sunday; 15 tourists arrested for obstructing traffic

A record number of 5,450 vehicles crossed Atal Tunnel, an all-wear ro beneath 13,058-foot-high Rohtang Pass in Himachal Presh, on Sunday, a senior police officer said.

While 2,800 vehicles entered tunnel from Manali side, 2,650 vehicles came from Lahaul side, he said, ding that this was highest number of vehicles using ro on a single day since its inauguration in October.

Meanwhile, police arrested 15 tourists, including seven from Delhi, and seized two vehicles on Sunday for obstructing traffic inside tunnel, Kullu Superintendent of Police Gaurav Singh said.

It was a bumper-to-bumper traffic and a '-overtaking zone' was enforced between Palchan and south portal of tunnel to ensure smooth flow of vehicles, he ded.

On December 24, 10 tourists from Delhi were arrested and ir three cars were impounded as y h stopped ir vehicles inside tunnel, played music and started dancing which led to a traffic jam.

world's longest tunnel at an altitude of 10,040 feet, Atal Tunnel has become a tourist destination since it was thrown open to public by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October.

9.02-km underpass connects Lahaul of Lahaul-Spiti district and Manali of Kullu district in Himachal Presh.