Kashmir highway again closed, hundreds of vehicles stranded

Srinagar: Hundreds of vehicles got stranded after the 300-km-long Srinagar –Jammu national highway was closed yet on Thursday again due to fresh snowfall and landslides besides shooting stones, triggered by heavy rain while Ladakh highway and historic Mughal road remained shut since December last year.
Traffic on the national highway, the all only weather road, linking the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country was suspended again due to snowfall at Jawhar tunnel and landslides and shooting stones between Ramban and Ramsu, a traffic police official told UNI this morning.
He said the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and Beacon project, responsible for the maintenance of the highway, have already pressed into service sophisticated machines and men to work to put through the road. However, due to continued shooting stones, road clearance operation was being hampered. Road clearance operation will be taken only once the shooting stone stops. Fresh landslides have occurred at about six places, including Penthal, Margoo and Digdol.
Meanwhile, hundreds of vehicles, particularly on way to Kashmir, are stranded on the highway due to closure of highway. A report from Qazigund said large number of passengers are stranded on this side of the Jawahar tunnel, due to slippery road conditions after fresh snowfall.
He said once the road is put through only stranded vehicles will be allowed before allowing fresh traffic.
The national highway, connecting Ladakh region with Kashmir valley remained closed since December last year due to accumulation of snow. Similarly the 86-km-long historic Mughal road, linking Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region and Anantnag to Kishtwar roads remained closed since December last year.