Kashmir highway reopens after 12 hours

Srinagar, Dec 13 (UNI) Traffic on the 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway resumed this afternoon after remaining closed since last night due to landslides and shooting of stones.

All the incoming and outgoing flights, including those carrying the Haj pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir to Jeddah, also operated normally.

Traffic on the highway, resumed this afternoon after the landslides at Penthal were cleared, a traffic police official told UNI.

A major portion of a mountain eroding at Penthal was causing landslides, sources said.

The highway linking the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, was closed last night due to landslides and shooting of stones.

However, no fresh vehicle was allowed to leave Jammu or Srinagar this morning and only stranded ones were allowed to move towards their respective destinations.

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the maintenance of the highways pressed men and machines into service to clear the highway.

Hundreds of vehicles, including those carrying passengers, are stranded on the highway, official sources said.

The highway reopened on December 11 after remaining closed for seven days but was again blocked yesterday due to landslides.

The authorities have decided to allow Jammu to Srinagar traffic today.

BRO is making all efforts to repair it, sources said.

About 2,000 passengers, mostly labourers from outside the state, are stranded here for the past eight days.

UNI BAS AD MSJ BST1722