Jammu and Kashmir: Heavy rains cause landslides, block J&K highway

The 270-km Jammu-Srinagar national highway in Ramban district was closed by several landslides on Sunday as torrential rains battered large portions of Jammu province overnight.

Jammu: Several landslides on Sunday blocked the 270-km Jammu-Srinagar national highway in Ramban district as heavy rains lashed wide parts of Jammu province overnight, officials said. Landslides and shooting of stones from hillocks overlooking the strategic highway at Cafeteria and Mehad forced the suspension of vehicular traffic, the officials said. The fresh landslides were triggered by the heavy rains overnight, they said. The officials said efforts were on to ensure early restoration of the highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country.

Jammu city and other parts of the district received heavy rains overnight, rendering many roads waterlogged and commuters incapacitated. Jammu city recorded 95.7 mm, Udhampur 92.6 mm, and Kathua 42.0 mm of rainfall over the past 24 hours ending 8.30 am Sunday, the officials said.

Katra, the base camp for the pilgrims visiting the Vaishno Devi shrine in the Reasi district, witnessed 14 mm of rainfall. The weather office has forecast more rainfall at many places across the Union Territory in the next 48 hours with the possibility of heavy showers at a few places in the Jammu region.