Srinagar, Nov 19 (UNI) The national highway, connecting Ladakh region with Kashmir valley and historic Mughal road remained closed for the third day on Sunday due to slippery road condition following snowfall.
However, the 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway, linking Kashmir with the rest of the country was through for traffic.
Meanwhile, police rescued about 40 people who got stranded in Pir Panjal Range on 86-km-long following heavy snowfall on Saturday.
Due to fresh snowfall and slippery road conditions following below freezing temperature, particularly at Sonamarg, Zojila, Meenmarg and Drass, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia, traffic on the 434-km-long Srinagar-Jammu highway remained suspended since Friday, a traffic police official told UNI this morning.
However, he said about 150 vehicles, mostly empty trucks and oil tankers, were allowed from Drass to Srinagar on Saturday following improvement in the weather condition. But traffic was again stopped as a precautionary measure when road again become more slippery.
Meanwhile, hundreds of vehicles are stranded on either side of the Zojila pass on the highway. Decision to allow traffic on the highway will be taken only after authorities review the road condition, provided there is improvement in the weather.
He said that traffic on 86-km-long historic Mughal road, linking Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region, also remained suspended since Friday afternoon due to fresh snowfall and slippery road condition. However, some people had started journey on the road and got stuck in Pir Panjal range due to very heavy snowfall.
A police spokesman said that immediately after receiving the information, rescue teams were rushed and about 40 stranded persons were evacuated to safer places.
However, traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway was plying. He said light vehicles will ply from both sides while heavy vehicles operated from Srinagar to Jammu on Sunday. No heavy vehicle will be allowed from opposite direction on the highway.
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