Padma Dorge, a villager who trekked up the hill Sunday along with several others, said: 'We noticed some landslides at the explosion site. Water is continuously coming out of crevices that might have developed due to the explosion or landslide.'

He said most of the villagers have moved to safer places fearing volcanic activity.

Rangrik, located 200 km from the district headquarters of Keylong, is an isolated hamlet with a population of approximately 400.

The entire Lahaul and Spiti district, populated mainly by tribals, remains cut off from the rest of the country for more than six months in the year due to heavy snowfall. The climatic conditions of the landlocked district are harsh as much of the land falls under a cold desert.