Srinagar-Jammu highway closed following fresh snowfall

The Srinagar-Jammu national highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir to the rest of the country, was closed for vehicular traffic as the valley including Srinagar experienced fresh snowfall on Wednesday.

"The highway was closed for traffic around 2 pm after heavy snowfall between Qazigund and Banihal rendered the arterial road unsafe," a spokesman of the traffic department told PTI in Srinagar.

He said so far about three inches of snow had accumulated on the ground around Jawahar Tunnel -- the gateway to the Kashmir valley - and snowfall was still on.

The snowfall resulted in slippery conditions prompting the authorities to suspend the traffic on the road, he said, adding dozens of Jammu-bound passenger and heavy vehicles were stranded and efforts are on to clear the vehicles.

Earlier this month, traffic on the highway was restricted to one-way following heavy snowfall on New Year Eve and later it was closed for three days.

While higher reaches experienced fresh snowfall since this morning, Srinagar and other parts of the valley received snowfall in late afternoon.

MeT predicted moderate to heavy snowfall in the state due to fresh western disturbance between January 8 and January 10.

"Isolated places may receive very heavy snowfall," Director, Meteorological Department, Sonam Lotus said.

Photograph: Reuters