Traffic remained disrupted for about 4 hours due to landslide on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway

JAMMU: Traffic on the strategic Jammu-Srinagar national highway was halted for nearly four hours following a landslide in Ramban district as widespread parts of Jammu and Kashmir received snowfall and rain for the second consecutive day on Sunday, officials said.

Officials said rain caused a landslide on the 270-km Jammu-Srinagar National Highway at Kishtwari Patheri near Sher Bibi area at around 11.15 am, resulting in traffic halt.

However, road clearing agencies immediately deployed people and machinery and managed to clear the debris, restoring partial movement of vehicles within four hours, he said. The road in the landslide affected area has been made single lane.

According to officials, snowfall was recorded in most parts of the Ramsu-Banihal-Srinagar stretch of the highway, while the rest of the 270-km highway received rain.

Officials said helicopter service to Mata Vaishno Devi temple located on Trikuta hills in Reasi district also remained suspended during the day due to bad weather.

There was fresh snowfall in the Bhairo Valley area of the temple and surrounding areas, while 2.4 mm rainfall was recorded in the plains including Katra city, he said.

Apart from the upper areas of Reasi, snowfall was also reported in Poonch, Rajouri, Kishtwar and Doda districts.

Meanwhile, officials said a pregnant woman in need of medical attention was evacuated from the snow-covered remote Senapati-Paristan area of Ramban and admitted to the public health center Ukhral.

Despite continuous snowfall, the Ramban district administration remained alert and ensured quick response to emergencies, an official said.