J-K: Traffic on Jammu-Srinagar highway suspended after landslide

Traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway was suspended on Sunday morning after a landslide in Jammu and Kashmir's Ramban district, officials said.

Incidents of shooting stones were also reported from four other places on the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, they said.

On the situation of other important routes in the state, the officials said traffic on the 434-km Srinagar-Leh national highway was restored on Sunday after three days of closure and vehicles are plying on the Mughal Road, which connects Poonch and Rajouri districts with south Kashmir's Shopian district.

The landslide took place at Kella Morh in Ramban district and the incidents of shooting stones were reported from Digdole, Anokhi Fall, Maroog and Panthiyal areas, a traffic department official said.

Incessant rains are hampering road clearance operations on the Jammu-Srinagar highway, he said, adding that agencies concerned are waiting for the weather to improve to start work.

Barring a convoy of Amarnath pilgrims returning from Kashmir, no other vehicle was allowed either from Srinagar or Jammu to ply on the highway, the official said.

Jammu-bound pilgrims had crossed the Jawahar Tunnel - the gateway to the Valley - and have been accommodated at shelter sheds at various places in Banihal sector, he said, adding that they would be allowed to proceed only after the road is cleared.

The Jammu-Srinagar highway was also closed for several hours on Saturday due to a mudslide and rolling down of stones at several places in Ramban district, but all the stranded vehicles were later cleared.

The official said the Srinagar-Leh national highway, the only road linking frontier Ladakh region with the rest of Jammu and Kashmir, was reopend for traffic Sunday morning after three days closure owing to damage to the road due to cloudburst and landslides in the Zojilla pass area.

The road was repaired by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), paving way for resumption of the traffic, he said.

The official said the Mughal Road is also open for the traffic.