Landslide blocks Srinagar-Jammu highway

A massive landslide in Jammu and Kashmir's Ramban district today blocked the only all-weather road linking the Valley to rest of the country, leaving many passengers stranded, an official said.

The landslide, triggered by rains, struck the Srinagar-Jammu national highway at Digdole near Ramban town around 2 pm. Hundreds of vehicles, including a Jammu-bound convoy carrying Amarnath pilgrims, were stranded, a traffic department official said.

The official said a cab was passing through the road at the time of the incident, causing some damage to the vehicle, but the passengers escaped unhurt. The agency maintaining the highway are trying to reopening the road as early as possible, the official said.

A landslide also occurred last evening along Mughal road -- the alternate link connecting the twin districts of Poonch-Rajouri in Jammu region with south Kashmir's Shopian, a official said.

The road was made operational for one-way traffic this morning and no vehicle was allowed from Jammu side towards Shopian, he added.