The strategic Jammu-Srinagar, Srinagar-Leh and some other highways in Jammu and Kashmir remained closed on Friday following heavy rains and fresh snowfall in the area."Heavy rains and snowfall in upper reaches during the last 24 hours have triggered landslides and shooting stones in Ramsoo and Magarkote areas of the Jammu-Srinagar national highway in Ramban district," a senior official of the traffic department here said, adding "This has forced closure of the highway.""About 500 vehicles including trucks carrying supplies to the Kashmir valley and passengers vehicles are stranded on the highway, but all of these vehicles are parked at safe places."The official also said 2 feet fresh snowfall in Pir Ki Gali area of the historic Mughal Road connecting the Rajouri district of Jammu region with the Kashmir Valley has also forced closure of this highway.There was snowfall also in the Zojilla Pass stretch of the Srinagar-Leh highway that connects the Ladakh region with the rest of the Kashmir.
"Over two feet deep snow has accumulated on the Zojilla Pass on Srinagar-Leh highway. Traffic will not be allowed on the highway till further orders", the officer told CNS. Drivers and conductors of the trucks, stranded at Ranga Mode, about eight km from Sonmarg, were rescued and brought to safer place, official said. He added that there was heavy snowfall at Sonmarg, Zojila pass, Ranga Mode, Meenmarg and Captain Mode on the highway, forcing authorities to suspend traffic from both ways.Jammu region's Sinthan Pass road that connects Kishtwar district with the valley has also been closed.Director MeT Sonam Lotus said that there will be improvement in weather and from Saturday the weather is expected to remain dry. He said that there will be increase in day temperature while night temperature may fall considerably.An official from MeT office informed that the highest snowfall was reported from the ski resort of Gulmarg where 22 inches of fresh snowfall was recorded. In Srinagar, the minimum temperature was recorded at 0.3 degrees Celsius. It was 0.4 in Pahalgam, minus 7.0 in Gulmarg, minus 1.3 in Leh, and 2.4 in Kargil town on Friday. The minimum temperature in Jammu city was recorded at 11.6 degrees Celsius, in Katra it was 9.0, in Batote 3.6, in Ban nihal the temperature was 1.5, and in Bhaderwah 3.6 degrees Celsius.” (CNS)