Snowfall, landslides shut Srinagar-Jammu highway again

, Feb 5: Following fresh snowfall and landslides at some places, the Srinagar-Jammu highway remained closed for the second consecutive day Tuesday.

An official of the border roads organization (BRO), which maintains the over 300-km long highway, said fresh snowfall occurred during Monday night in the Bannihal sector, while landslides hit the road at Panthal, Seri and Kela Morh areas.

"One of our boys was injured during the road clearance operations in Panthal area yesterday (Monday)," the official said.

"The operation has started again. If the weather permits, stranded vehicles would be allowed to move from Jammu to Srinagar."

The highway is the only surface link of the landlocked Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country. All essentials of life are routed through this highway.

Temporary closures of the highway especially during the winter months often shoot up prices of essential commodities as unscrupulous traders resort to hoarding and profiteering.

IANS