Shimla, Jul 25 (IANS): At least nine tourists, mainly from Delhi-National Capital Region, were killed and three others seriously injured in a rockslide in Himachal Pradesh's Kinnaur district on Sunday, the police said.

The tourists were on the way from Sangla to Chitkul, a popular tourist spot some 250 km from the state capital, when the boulders fell on their vehicle, killing nine on the spot.

Superintendent of Police S.R. Rana said the rescue operation is on and the road has been closed for the traffic. Nearly 50 vehicles are stranded on the road stretch.

Two of the injured have been referred to a nearby hospital.

Eyewitnesses said the administration had a tough time extricating the victims from the boulders.

People in the area began rescue operations even before local authorities reached the spot.

Expressing grief over the accident, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur asked local authorities to speed up the rescue work and provide relief to the next of kin of each of those killed and injured.

A video of the disaster showing massive boulders sliding off the hilltop and damaging a bailey bridge and a portion of the highway has gone viral.