Jammu-Srinagar NH remains closed for second day; over 3,000 vehicles stranded

The Jammu-Srinagar national highway, an all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, remained closed for the second consecutive day on Friday due to heavy snowfall and landslides, officials said.

Over 3,000 vehicles comprising mostly trucks carrying essential supplies are stranded at various places on the highway from Lakhanpur in Kathua district to Banihal belt of Ramban district.

The highway is closed due to multiple landslides and snowfall while no vehicular traffic has been allowed on the highway from Jammu, officials said.

The highway was blocked due to landslides at Gangroo, Panthyal, Hingni, Mompassi, Battery Chashma, Khonni Nallah and Chanderkote in Banihal-Ramban section and Kheri in Udhampur district and snowfall at Jawahar tunnel on Thursday.

Men and machinery of the Border Roads Organisation are working to clear the highway of landslides and shooting stones that have fallen at several areas, they added.

High altitude areas of Jammu and Kashmir experienced a fresh spell of snowfall, while the plains were lashed by rains since Wednesday night that stopped on Friday.

The meteorological office had forecast widespread rains and snow across the state for the past two days.

After the long spell of rains in the last two days across the plains of Jammu, bright sunshine on Friday raised the temperature levels.