Jammu-Srinagar National Highway blocked by debris after landslides following heavy rainfall, in Ramban district, Jammu and Kashmir.
Credit: PTI Photo
Srinagar: A day after civilian flights were suspended at Srinagar International Airport amid heightened Indo-Pak border tensions, landslides triggered by heavy rains shut down the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway (NH-44) on Thursday, leaving Kashmir cut off by both air and road.
The highway, the only road link connecting the Valley to the rest of the country, was blocked at multiple points in Ramban district, including Trishul Morh and Seri Chamba, officials said. “Landslides have hit several locations, and restoration work is ongoing but hampered by rain.”
At the landslide sites, mounds of earth and rocks have buried large sections of the road, with stranded vehicles lined up for kilometers, they said. Tourists, many of whom came despite the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, now find themselves stuck in Kashmir.
“We just wanted a peaceful holiday, but now we’re trapped. Our return flight was cancelled, and we can’t even drive out,” said Preeti Sharma, a tourist from Delhi.
Dozens of Kashmiri patients, who were scheduled to travel to Delhi and other cities for medical treatment, have also been affected. With flights grounded and the highway blocked, families say they are running out of time and options.
The disruption has also hit Hajj pilgrims hard. Authorities confirmed that scheduled Hajj flights from Srinagar were cancelled, and pilgrims have been asked to wait for further instructions. Many of them had already completed their pre-departure formalities and are now facing uncertainty over their journey.
Officials said they are closely monitoring the situation and will resume highway traffic as soon as conditions allow. However, with the weather department forecasting more rain in the coming days, there is no clarity on when connectivity will be restored.