Amarnath pilgrims stranded on JK NH

Srinagar, July 8: More than 6000 passengers, including Amarnath pilgrims, and hundreds of vehicles have been stranded on either side of the 300-km Srinagar-Jammu national highway, which was closed this morning due to landslides and shooting stones following overnight rains.

The Srinagar-Baltal, the base camp for Amarnath, has also been closed for traffic due to landslides at Gund.

A traffic police official told sources that heavy overnight rains triggered by landslides and shooting of stones at different places between Ramban and Ramsu area has led to the closure of the highway.

He said the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the maintenance of the highway, has pressed into service sophisticated machines and hundreds of labourers to clear the highway.

Continued rains have been hampering the road clearance operation, he said, adding the Amarnath pilgrims, who had left Jammu and Srinager this morning, would only be allowed to move towards their respective destinations when the landslides were cleared.

Official sources said hundreds of vehicles, carrying essential commodities such as vegetables and fruits, to and from Srinagar were also stranded on either side of the highway.

Meanwhile, vehicular movement at Gund on the 434-km Srinagar-Leh national highway has been affected due to landslides. Efforts were on to ensure smooth traffic movement so that stranded Amarnath pilgrims would be allowed to move towards their respective destinations.

UNI