Jammu-Srinagar highway closed for third day

JAMMU: The 300-km-long Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was closed for vehicular traffic for the third consecutive day today due to landslides at various places on the road, police said.

The highway was closed on Thursday due to landslides, washing of road patches and flooding at various places, police said today.

Hundreds of vehicles, including those carrying passengers, were stranded on the highway due to the closure, they said.

Men and machines of Border Roads Organisation were working to clear the highway, they added.

Over a dozen inter-district roads were also closed due to landslides, washing away of stretches, breaches and flooding in Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Samba, Jammu, Udhampur, Reasi, Rajouri, Poonch and Kathua districts of Jammu region, police said.

Police has asked people to avoid travelling on roads in flood-hit areas for the next couple of days.

Heavy to moderate rains have been witnessed in the state since the intervening night of September 2 and 3, resulting in floods and subsequent loss of life and properties.

The death toll in the floods has reached 100 in the state.

Rainfall continued throughout the night till today in Jammu and in mountainous districts, making the flood rescue operations difficult, police said.