Shimla, Feb. 4 -- A 15-foot-deep crater opened on the Dhalli-Sanjauli bypass road in Shimla's Chalonthi area on Monday evening, forcing the local administration to suspend all vehicular movement. The cave-in, linked to the ongoing construction of a 2,900-metre four-lane tunnel, was severe enough to trap a National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) drilling machine. The incident has triggered fresh panic among residents, coming just three weeks after similar structural damage forced the evacuation of three nearby houses. While the NHAI attributed the collapse to "persistent rainfall and snowfall" weakening the road shoulder above the tunnel portal, local residents have pointed to negligence and the impact of tunnel blasting. The NHAI said on Tuesday that the pit appeared above Tunnel-5 and claimed that planned remedial measures, including grouting and shotcreting, had been delayed due to local objections. However, the situation remains precarious as cracks first observed on January 9 have now extended to the bypass road itself. This follows an incident two weeks ago where soil beneath several homes caved into the tunnel, rendering the structures unsafe. In response to the escalating risk, the NHAI has initiated the acquisition process for the most affected buildings and started backfilling the crater with suitable materials to stabilise the stretch. Meanwhile, the district administration has ordered a comprehensive survey of all buildings in the Bhattakufar and Chalonthi areas to assess the long-term safety of the project. Avalanches occurred at three locations near the North Portal of the Atal Tunnel, Rohtang. A major disaster was averted. Four vehicles were travelling from Keylong to Manali when the snowfall occurred. After a brief halt, all vehicles safely departed for Manali. Amid avalanche warnings for areas above 2,900 meters in Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti, avalanches occurred at three different locations near the North Portal of the Atal Tunnel on Tuesday. The Manali-Keylong road was blocked for about an hour, leaving several taxis stranded, causing significant inconvenience to passengers and drivers. According to reports, about a foot of fresh snowfall fell in the Atal Tunnel area last night. With the weather clearing, the risk of avalanches has increased in Kullu and Lahaul. The Lahaul Valley has been cut off from Kullu-Manali. Police said an avalanche had occurred near the Atal Tunnel and after a brief halt, all vehicles headed towards Manali....