Srinagar- The strategic 270-kilometres Jammu-Srinagar national highway remained blocked on Friday for the second consecutive day because of shooting stones in Ramban district.
Traffic department officials said shooting stones in Panthyal stretch of the Jammu-Srinagar highway continue to block the road as restoration work could not be started because of incessant rain.
“No vehicular traffic will be allowed on the highway today. Restoration work will be started immediately after the weather improves,” traffic department officials said.
The strategic was blocked on Thursday due to mudslides and shooting stones in Ramban district early Wednesday, leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded, officials said.
An important iron tunnel passage at a stretch of the Highway was damaged due to heavy shooting stones Thursday evening, officials said.
The incident also left hundreds of vehicles stranded, they said.
“Fresh incident of shooting stones on the highway at Pantiyal has caused damage to the important passage of an iron tunnel set up in the most vulnerable stretch of the strategic 270-km Jammu-Srinagar National Highway,” an official said.
According to officials, mudslides and shooting stones struck the highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, at Mehaar, Cafeteria Moore and Pantiyal areas.
“People are advised not to travel on the Jammu-Srinagar highway without confirmation,” an advisory by the traffic police said.
The convoy of Amarnath yatra, which was on its way from Jammu to Kashmir, was also halted at Chanderkoot Yatra Niwas due to the highway blockade.
Shooting stones, mudslides and landslides triggered by rain often result in closure of the nearly 300 kms long Jammu-Srinagar highway.
In addition to being the supplies lifeline of the landlocked Valley, the highway is these days used by the Amarnath pilgrims to reach both the south Kashmir Pahalgam and the north Kashmir Baltal base camps.
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