Fresh snowfall closes J&K national highway

Over 500 vehicles carrying passengers and essential supplies to the Valley were stranded on the 300-km highway.

The strategic Srinagar-Jammu national highway was closed to traffic on Tuesday afternoon following heavy rain and snowfall, triggering landslides at various places.

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Landslides again blocked the chronic midway trouble spot at Panthal, officials said. Several other areas along the highway were experiencing heavy snowfall including the end of the Jawahar Tunnel, the Valley's lifeline for essential supplies.

Over 500 vehicles carrying passengers and essential supplies to the Valley were stranded on the 300-km highway, said MA Shah, deputy inspector general of police (Traffic).

This is the fourth time the blockage at Panthal has led to the closure of the highway in December, creating scarcity of material in the landlocked valley.

Prolonged bad weather coupled with the road blockade could lead to further scarcity of supplies at a critical time, with the Muslim festival of Eid-ul-Azha just five days away.

Mutton, fresh vegetables, milk, cooking gas and kerosene were already in short supply in the Valley following the recent weeklong blockade of the road.