1,700 trucks stranded as landslide hits Srinagar-Jammu highway

No fresh traffic allowed from either side till restoration is completed; passenger vehicles given priority

Udhampur: A fresh landslide in the Dewal area of Udhampur district disrupted traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway on Monday, stranding around 1,700 trucks and scores of passenger vehicles, officials said.

An official said that traffic stranded between Udhampur and Banihal is being cleared through a single carriageway while restoration work on the damaged stretch is underway.

He said passenger vehicles are being given priority to facilitate the movement of stranded commuters.

The official said no fresh traffic from Jammu towards Srinagar, Doda, Ramban and Patnitop, or from the opposite direction, will be allowed until restoration work is completed and the highway is declared safe for vehicular movement.

He advised commuters to avoid travelling on the highway until further orders, warning of the possibility of fresh landslides and shooting stones along vulnerable stretches. (KNO)