Landslide blocks Jammu-Srinagar national highway; disrupts Amarnath Yatra

Banihal/Jammu: A massive landslide blocked the Jammu-Srinagar national highway in Ramban district early Wednesday following which no fresh batch of Amarnath pilgrims was allowed to leave from Jammu, officials said.

According to the traffic control room, the landslide hit the 270-km highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, near Maroog around 3 am.

“The restoration work is going on and is expected to be completed by 2 pm, following which the suspended traffic will be allowed from both sides - Nagrota in Jammu and Qazigund in Kashmir,” an official of the department said.

No fresh batch of Amarnath pilgrims was allowed from Jammu in view of the highway closure, the officials said.

“The yatra was suspended for the day from Bhagwati Nagar base camp due to the landslide on the highway,” Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Ramesh Kumar told PTI.

He said restoration work is going on at a war footing to make the highway trafficable.

Over 4.25 lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance at the 3,880 metre high cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas since the start of the 62-day long yatra on July 1.