Fresh landslide halts traffic for 15 hours on Jammu-Srinagar highway

A fresh landslide halted traffic for nearly 15 hours on the strategic Jammu-Srinagar national highway even as over 3,000 Kashmir-bound vehicles, mostly carrying passengers, crossed the Jawahar Tunnel -- the gateway to the valley on Monday, officials said.

The 270-km highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with rest of the country, is partially open but only stranded vehicles are being allowed to ply to reach their destination, the officials said.

"As many as 2,500 light motor vehicles and 600 trucks including 250 fuel tankers crossed the Jawahar Tunnel into the valley from this side till 4 pm," Deputy Superintendent of Police, traffic (national highway), Pardeep Singh Sen told PTI.

He said a major landslide hit the highway in Panthiyal area of Ramban Sunday evening, forcing closure of the road.

The agency concerned worked overnight and managed to clear the road of the hurdles after 15-hour long operation Monday morning, the officer said adding the vehicular movement was on .