Jammu-Srinagar national highway remains closed for third day, 1,700 vehicles stranded

Jammu: Over 1700 vehicles are stranded as the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remained closed for the third consecutive day Friday due to landslides triggered by heavy rains in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Five landslides triggered by rains struck the strategic 270-km highway at Khuni Nallah, Panthiyal, Digdole, Battery Cheshma and Maroog, blocking the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with rest of the country. 

The highway was blocked on Wednesday.

The vehicles are stranded on the highway in Ramban, Udhampur, Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts, they said. 

Officials said road clearance operations are going on full swing.

No traffic has been allowed to move from Nagrota area of Jammu towards Kashmir Valley in view of the closure of the highway, they said.

The lurking threat of more landslides has created fear among hundreds of passengers travelling on the highway.

The Batota-Doda-Kishtwar road is also blocked at two places and work is on to clear the road, they said. 

The Moghal road connecting Kashmir Valley's Shopian district with Jammu region's Poonch district is closed for the past one month due to heavy snowfall.