Heavy snowfall shuts Jammu-Srinagar highway

The strategic Jammu-Srinagar national highway, the only road-link connecting the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, was closed Tuesday due to heavy snowfall at many places.

"Jammu-Srinagar national highway will remain closed for all sorts of vehicular traffic today," a senior traffic department official told IANS in Jammu Tuesday.

"Intending travellers are requested not to undertake the journey before contacting our control rooms in Srinagar and Jammu cities."

The official said it has been snowing heavily since morning in Bannihal and Batote sectors of the over 300km highway.

"For the safety of travellers, traffic has been closed on the road. No vehicles will be allowed to ply on the highway either from Jammu or Srinagar today."

The official also said that the highway had been restored for one-way traffic for several hours to clear stranded vehicles on the over 300km road, before the fresh snowfall.

Meanwhile, the official confirmed that no passengers or vehicles were stranding anywhere on the highway as all stranded vehicles had been cleared and moved to their destinations.