Traffic on Kashmir Highway suspended due to landslide

Srinagar, Jul 18: Hundreds of vehicles, including those carrying Amarnath yatris, were stranded at various places on both sides of the Jawahar Tunnel on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, connecting Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country, due to landslides triggered by heavy rain. “The traffic on the 300-km-long has been suspended due to landslides at Kheri in Udhampur and Pathipangara,” a traffic police official told UNI. However, he said the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the maintenance of the highway, has pressed into service sophisticated machines and men to put through the highway. “We will allow traffic only after getting green signal from the BRO and traffic police officials posted at several places on the highway,” he said, adding that there is still threat of more landslides. Meanwhile, hundreds of vehicles, including carrying pilgrims, who had left Jammu this morning, are stranded on the highway. The pilgrim vehicles have been stopped at safe places, official sources said. UNI