Mudslide brings Jammu-Srinagar highway to a standstill

Mudslide

Traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) was brought to a grinding halt early Thursday, after heavy rains triggered a series of mudslides and shooting stones in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district, officials confirmed to PTI.

The disruption that began around 7:30 am left hundreds of vehicles stranded on both sides of the crucial 250-kilometre route - the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of India.

A major mudslide was reported at Chamba Seri near Ramban town, while a flash flood swept through the Ramban market area, damaging several parked vehicles but causing no casualties, according to authorities. The adverse weather also led to warnings about flash floods along the Chenab River, with officials in Reasi and Akhnoor advising residents to avoid riverbanks as a precaution, as per the PTI report.

Efforts to clear the highway are being hampered by ongoing rainfall, with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) deploying multiple machines to remove debris and restore traffic.

The meteorological department has forecast continued light to moderate rain, thunder showers and gusty winds across Jammu and Kashmir through 11 May, warning that intense showers could trigger further landslides and mudslides in vulnerable areas. A significant temperature rise is expected from 13 May onwards, particularly in the Jammu region, PTI report added.

No loss of life has been reported in the latest incident, but the disruption has once again highlighted the vulnerability of the region’s lifeline to extreme weather events., PTI reported. Authorities emphasise that travellers should check the latest road status before embarking on any journey through the area.