Rains, landslides force closure of Jammu-Srinagar highway, Mughal Road

The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and Mughal Road were closed for vehicular traffic due to landslides and shooting stones triggered by heavy rain at several places in Jammu and Kashmir's Ramban and Poonch districts on Friday, officials said.

A few hundred vehicles, including those carrying a batch of Amarnath Yatra pilgrims, are stranded on the highway, they said. Heavy rains triggered shooting of stones at Mehaar and Cafeteria Morh in Ramban, blocking the highway, the officials said.

A convoy of 174 Amarnath Yatra pilgrims has been halted at Chanderkoot Yatra Niwas till clearance of the road, they said.

Vehicular traffic on the historic Mughal Road in Poonch was suspended on Friday due to a landslide triggered by heavy rains, according to the officials.

The road, which connects Poonch and Rajouri districts in Jammu region with Shopian in South Kashmi, is an alternative route to the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.

The restoration work of the twin roads to Kashmir is in progress, they said.

People are advised not to travel on Jammu-Srinagar Highway without confirmation from traffic authorities, the officials added.