Manali's winter wonderland turns dangerous: Cars skid out of control on snowy roads. Watch

A video captured cars skidding out of control on an icy road in Manali, showing one harrowing near-miss at the edge of a gorge.

Manali witnessed its first snowfall of the season on Monday, transforming the popular tourist destination in Himachal Pradesh into a picturesque winter wonderland. However, a darker side of the heavy snowfall surfaced, revealing the hazards of navigating the region's snow-covered, perilous roads.

A video captures cars skidding on Manali's icy roads.(Screengrab Instagram/@_hamza_murtaza_)

A video that went viral on Instagram, with over 24 million views, showed cars skidding out of control on the icy, narrow roads of Manali. In one instance, a vehicle was seen sliding dangerously close to the edge of a gorge, narrowly avoiding a tragic fall.

Take a look at the viral video:

According to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), as many as 87 roads, including the Atari-Leh National Highway 3 near Manali's Rohtang Pass, were closed in Himachal Pradesh.

Over 800 people were stranded in 490 vehicles in Lahaul due to the snowfall were rescued since Sunday evening, according to the Lahaul and Spiti police. Snow and slippery road conditions had also disrupted vehicular traffic on several roads in the upper Shimla region.

Tourist from Delhi dies in Manali amid snowfall

On Sunday, a 49-year-old tourist from New Delhi, Bhishan Garg, lost his life when his car skidded on an icy road in the Lahaul-Spiti district in Himachal Pradesh. Police reported that his vehicle, which was attempting to overtake others stranded in traffic, lost control and collided with a parked tipper. Three other passengers sustained injuries in the crash.

In the aftermath of the snowfall, authorities advised drivers to equip their vehicles with snow chains, maintain low speeds, and avoid overtaking on slippery roads.