J&K highway remains closed

The Jammu-Srinagar national highway remained closed for the second day on Monday disrupting vehicular traffic and leaving over a thousand people stranded at several places, official sources said.

The 300 km highway, the only surface link between Kashmir and rest of the country, was closed on Sunday after heavy rains triggered landslides at Panthyal in Ramban-Ramsoo sector of Doda district, the sources said.

Due to fresh landslides on Monday, 10 metres stretch of the highway was damaged again and the Border Road Organisation has been pressed into service to restore the vehicular traffic by clearing the vital road, they said.

Over 500 vehicles carrying over 1,300 passengers were stranded on the highway due to its closure, the sources said, adding efforts are on to clear the highway at the earliest.

There was heavy snowfall at Jawahar Tunnel, health resort Patnitop, upper reaches of Doda district and Pir Panchal ranges.

Plains of Jammu region experienced heavy rains and the winter capital registered a rainfall of 37 mm since Sunday.

The highway remained closed for vehicular traffic from February 21 to March 3 due to damage of the 300-metre patch at Panthal due to landslides. The IAF and Army had airlifted over 10,000 stranded passengers from March 1 to 3.