By IANS
Shimla : Snowfall in the mountains of Himachal Pradesh has forced organisers to call off the 9th Raid de Himalaya motor rally mid-way here late Friday.
There has been light to moderate snowfall on the high passes since Thursday on the 480-km Manali-Leh road, making it risky to drive on it.
“In view of the safety of the drivers we have called off the rally at the end of the third leg beyond Keylong in the Lahaul valley,” said Vijay Parmar, president of the Himalayan Motor Sports Association, the organisers of the rally.
The Raid is considered one of the toughest motor rallies in the world, testing the driver’s skill and endurance in extreme terrain and conditions.
The organisers are taking help of the Indian army to retrieve the vehicles still stuck on the rally route, said the organisers.
The rally was scheduled to end at Srinagar on Oct 8, after covering 1,715 km. A record 120 drivers in four and two wheelers categories were flagged off from Shimla Tuesday.