J&K highway reopens for traffic after clearance of landslides

Jammu:  The 300-km long Jammu-Srinagar national highway was reopened for vehicular traffic on Saturday after a day-long closure as heavy rains triggered landslides in Ramban and Udhampur districts of Jammu and Kashmir.

"The highway was reopened for vehicular traffic early today. All the stranded vehicles have been allowed to move to Kashmir," a police officer said.

The men and machines of BRO worked round the clock and cleared all the landslides in these stretches and made the highway trafficable, he said.

Heavy rains triggered landslides on the highway at Nashri, Bali Nallah and Panthiyal areas yesterday as a result of which a few hundred were stranded.

Due to heavy rains, there were two to three landslides on the highway stretch between Ramban and the Panthiyal area yesterday.

Another major landslide took place on highway at Bali Nallah in Udhampur district, he said, adding there was also a minor landslide near Nashri tunnel in Ramban district.

In view of the blockade, over 300 vehicles, which were stranded at various places enroute the highway, have been allowed to move to Kashmir.