Srinagar-Jammu highway closed in Indian occupied Kashmir
'Pakistan Times' Kashmir Desk

JAMMU: In Indian occupied Kashmir, the Jammu-Srinagar Highway was closed for vehicular traffic following landslides triggered by heavy rainfall.

The 300-km long highway was closed as a result of the landslides followed by incessant rainfall in the area, during the last 24 hours, stranding hundreds of trucks, light vehicles and passenger buses on the road.

Srinagar city and Kargil town have experienced season’s first snowfall forcing cancellation of all Srinagar bound flights as cold wave gripped both capital cities of Srinagar and Jammu as well as other areas of occupied Kashmir.

Indian Minister for Water Resources Saif-ud-Din Soz was trapped on Jammu-Srinagar highway for more than two hours when heavy snowfall blocked Jawahar tunnel for vehicular movement. He remained stranded for two hours while he had to attend an urgent meeting in New Delhi.

Meanwhile, Leh-Srinagar and Kargil-Zanskar roads were closed for six months. Several vehicles were stranded on the highway due to the closure of Jawahar tunnel. It was also heavily raining at Patnitop, Ramban, Batote, Ramsu and other places on the highway while upper reaches of Patnitop had snowfall. The area was gripped with high chill, an indication of another snowfall.

A large number of passengers were stranded as Srinagar bound flights returned to Jammu and then flew back to New Delhi and Mumbai. Jammu region also experienced severe cold wave conditions forcing people to stay indoors. While weather was cloudy in Jammu district but rains remained elusive. The temperature of the area had dropped by nearly four degrees, compared to the previous.

Upper reaches of Doda had snowfall while plain areas were lashed by heavy rains. Parts of Rajouri and Poonch districts also recorded severe cold conditions and rains.●