Hundreds of vehicles stranded on Srinagar-Jammu highway

Srinagar: Hundreds of vehicles, including those carrying passengers, got stranded after authorities suspended traffic on Srinagar-Jammu national highway following fresh landslides and rain-snow on Monday afternoon.
Frequent disruption of traffic movement on the highway has resulted in acute shortage of essential commodities and forcing authorities to announce rationing of petrol and diesel besides LPG cylinders. Hundreds of Kashmir bound trucks carrying essentials and oil tankers are stranded at different places on the highway.
However, there was no change in the situation on Srinagar-Leh national highway and historic 86-km-long Mughal road besides Anantnag-Kishtwar roads which are closed since December last year due to accumulation of snow.
Official sources said this evening that one-way traffic from Srinagar to Jammu was allowed this morning on the highway. However, traffic was suspended again due to landslides and shooting stone at several places, they said adding there was major landslide at Magarkote while rain-snow was experienced on both sides of the Jawhar tunnel, Shaitan Nallah and Banihal.
Hundreds of vehicles, including those carrying passengers are stranded between Ramban and Ramsu. Similarly over 300 Kashmir bound oil tankers are stranded which has resulted in shortage of petrol and diesel in the valley.
Though the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and Beacon have already started road clearance operation, but it will take several hours to put through the traffic.