JAMMU – Traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway remained closed for the second consecutive day on Thursday after heavy rains in the Banihal-Ramban section triggered five landslides, leaving over 3,000 vehicles stranded at various places on the route, officials said.
The traffic on the highway was suspended on Wednesday evening after heavy rains triggered shooting of stones from the hillocks overlooking the arterial road in Ramban district, officials said.
“Highway is closed. There have been five landslides triggered by rains at various places in Banihal-Ramban section of highway”, a traffic police official told PTI.
As result of which, over 3000 vehicles mostly trucks were stranded at various places on higheay at Jammu, Nagrota, Udhampur, Ramban, Chenani, Batote and Banihal and Kathua, they said.
The 270-km highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with rest of the country, was closed around 5.15 pm on Wednesday, the officials said.
Heavy rains lashed Jammu-Srinagar national highway throughout the day with Banihal on this side of the Jawahar Tunnel – the gateway to Kashmir – receiving 19.6 mm of rainfall, they said, adding the highway town of Qazigund on the other side recorded 24.8 mm of rainfall during the day. A hailstorm also hit Banihal and adjoining areas.
The officials said the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is working to clear snow from the highway.
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
| ACT NOW |
| MONTHLY | Rs 100 |  |
| YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
| LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |
