Flight ops hit, roads blocked: Tourists stranded amid heavy snowfall and rain in Kashmir, Himachal

As road and air traffic disruptions left many travellers stuck, the railway stepped in by operating special trains between to assist stranded passengers.

Srinagar/Shimla: Heavy snowfall and rainfall across the Himalayan region over the last 48 hours has triggered widespread disruptions, with hundreds of vehicles and people stranded, road and air traffic affected in several high-altitude areas of Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir.

Special train operated for tourists as heavy snowfall in Banihal blocks the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, in Ramban on Tuesday. (ANI Video Grab)

In Kashmir, fresh snowfall began late on Monday and blanketed the region in white, leading to the closure of Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) due to snow accumulation near the Navyug tunnel at Qazigund and Banihal. At Srinagar International Airport, all 58 scheduled flights, including 29 arrivals and 29 departures, were cancelled. Authorities said continuous snowfall rendered the runway unsafe for operations.

As road and air traffic disruptions left many travellers stuck, the railway stepped in by successfully operating special reserved trains between Katra and Srinagar to assist stranded passengers. However, a few trains between Banihal and Budgam were cancelled in the morning.

Ashish and Harshita, a couple on their honeymoon, said they were scheduled to fly back on Tuesday but had to stay back after the flight was cancelled. “We were booked to fly back today, but the flight got cancelled,” they said.

The Meteorological Department has predicted light to moderate rain or snow across most places, with the possibility of thunder or gusty winds in some areas. Light precipitation is also expected on Wednesday.

The Jammu & Kashmir Union Territory Disaster Management Authority (JKUTDMA) has issued avalanche warnings for eleven districts. A high-danger warning is in place for areas above 2,000 metres in Ganderbal district, while a medium-danger warning is likely to occur in areas above 2,000 metres in Anantnag, Bandipora, Baramulla, Kulgam, and Kupwara in Kashmir, and Doda, Kishtwar, Poonch, Rajouri, and Ramban. These warnings remained effective till Tuesday evening.

In Himachal Pradesh, rainfall in the hill resort of Shimla has disrupted normal life with roads blocked and power and water supply affected following recent snow and rain.

Revenue minister Jagat Singh Negi confirmed that 711 roads, including three national highways, are currently blocked and 861 power distribution transformers (DTRs) and around 163 water supply schemes have been affected.

With inputs from agencies