Banihal/Jammu, February 10

The Jammu-Srinagar national highway was closed for traffic on Friday due to multiple landslides triggered by heavy rainfall in Ramban district, officials said.

The only all-weather 270-km highway linking Kashmir with the rest of the country was blocked by the landslides at Panthyal, Cafeteria Morh, and Dalwas areas with more than 200 vehicles stranded at several places on the route.

The fresh shooting stones badly damaged an iron tunnel set up at this point to facilitate traffic in Panthyal area, they said.

Efforts are underway to remove the debris from the landslides, they added.

“The Jammu-Srinagar NH was blocked due to continuous shooting stones at Panthyal. People are advised to undertake the journey on the NH-44 only after confirming the status of the road from traffic control units,” the J&K traffic police tweeted on Thursday night.

The authorities have said the highway was blocked due to the breakdown of seven heavy motor vehicles (HMVs) between the Nahri and Navyug tunnel.

In their advisory issued for the traffic plan of the day, the authorities said only the HMVs with six and ten tyres would be allowed to ply through the Dhar road. — Agencies