Traffic resumes on landslide-hit Jammu-Srinagar National Highway

After eight hours of effort, the road was cleared of the debris from the landslide of the previous day

Two-way traffic resumed on Wednesday on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway that was hit by a massive landslide in Ramban district the previous day, resulting in the death of one person and injuries to six commuters, officials said.

The strategic 270-km highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, was cleared of the debris by road clearance agencies late Tuesday night after nearly eight hours of hectic efforts.

“After clearing hundreds of stranded vehicles on Tuesday night, fresh light motor vehicles (LMVs) were allowed from both Jammu and Srinagar, while heavy motor vehicles were only allowed from Jammu to Srinagar this morning,” a traffic department official said on Wednesday.

The traffic was moving smoothly on the highway when last reports were received, he added.

A crane driver was killed and six members of a family were injured when two vehicles came under the landslide at Seri village near Ramban town around 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday.

The stranded vehicles were allowed to move towards their respective destinations around 10 p.m. on Tuesday after the clearance of the debris, the officials said.