Heavy rains in Jammu cause landslides, block vehicular movement

Jammu, Sep 04: Incidences of landslides due to incessant rains in Jammu continued to affect the valley on Sunday as vehicular movement was blocked on the 270-km Jammu-Srinagar national highway causing problems for the commuters.

Landslides and shooting of stones from hillocks overlooking the strategic highway at Cafeteria and Mehad forced the suspension of vehicular traffic, officials said.

The fresh landslides were triggered by the heavy rains overnight, they said.

The officials said efforts were on to ensure early restoration of the highway - the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country.

Jammu city and other parts of the district received heavy rains overnight, rendering many roads waterlogged and commuters incapacitated.

Jammu city recorded 95.7 mm, Udhampur 92.6 mm, and Kathua 42.0 mm of rainfall over the past 24 hours ending 8.30 am Sunday, the officials said.

Katra, the base camp for the pilgrims visiting Vaishno Devi shrine in Reasi district, witnessed 14 mm of rainfall.

The weather office has forecast more rainfall at many places across the Union Territory in the next 48 hours with possibility of heavy showers at a few places in the Jammu region.