Unseasonal snowfall, rains lash Ladakh; red alert issued

Unseasonal snowfall and heavy rains lashed wide parts of Ladakh, prompting the meteorological department to issue a red alert for the region, officials said.

The rains also triggered landslides on the Leh-Kargil-Srinagar National Highway at Lamayuru, forcing the closure of the strategic highway, they said.

Officials said the high-altitude passes in both Leh and Kargil districts experienced unseasonal snowfall overnight after two days of rainfall.

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Rangdum village in Kargil witnessed nearly three inches of snowfall, while other areas, including Pensi la, Zanskar and the hills surrounding Kargil, were also covered by a snow blanket, they said.

The traffic on the Kargil-Zanskar road was suspended as a precautionary measure, they said.

After the landslide at Lamayuru, the main Leh-Kargil highway was closed for traffic and an operation is underway to clear the debris to make the road traffic worthy, officials said.

The weatherman has predicted the continuation of rain and snowfall till Sunday afternoon or evening besides issuing a "red colour warning" for the region for the next 24 hours.

"There has been widespread moderate to heavy rain and snowfall over the higher reaches of Ladakh. People are advised to remain vigilant and avoid slide-prone areas,” a spokesperson of the meteorological department said.

He did not rule out the possibility of flash floods in view of the significant rise in the water level in rivers and streams.

However, the weatherman predicted mainly dry weather with isolated rainfall at scattered places from July 10 to 14.