With heavy snowfall which has blanketed the Valley, fresh landslides have struck the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway which remained closed for the fourth consecutive day on Thursday, leaving over 7,000 vehicles stranded. Landslides have hit the highway at five places in Ramban district, a police official said.
On the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday, fresh landslides took place in Digdol, Monkey Morh, Moumpassi, Pathiyal and Chanderkote, he said. Authorities are working to clear the highway of the landslides but continuous landslides and shooting stones are making clearing operations difficult.
Snowfall on the Kashmir side of the highway since Sunday has resulted in a blockade of the highway. More than 7,000 vehicles are stranded at various places en route from Lakhanpur in Kathua district to Banihal belt of Ramban district and also on the Kashmir side.
With the highway closed for the fourth day, stranded truck drivers said they have run out of money to buy food and urged the government to come to their aid. They said the government has not made any arrangement for setting up community kitchens for them.
They also urged the government to reopen the highway at the earliest so that they can move towards Jammu as they have been stranded on the Kashmir side for five-six days.