Srinagar: The strategic Srinagar- Leh highway remained closed for the eighth consecutive day on Monday following snowfall that triggered avalanches along the Zojila pass.
The road was closed to vehicular traffic on April 17 following fresh snowfall that triggered a snow avalanche due to which several vehicles on the highway were buried. However, no casualty was reported in the incident and the trapped persons were rescued.
The 422 km long Srinagar-Kargil-Leh Highway was opened by Border Roads Organisation (BRO) on March 16, 2023, this year ahead of its scheduled time and it witnessed fresh snowfall due to the inclement weather conditions that triggered the avalanches that closed the road again.
Jammu and Kashmir traffic police said that the Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri road connecting Kargil with the Kashmir valley will remain closed on Monday due to the accumulation of snow on the highway.
“Men from the BRO and machines are on the job to make it traffic worthy”, an official said.
“In view of snow accumulation, and avalanches there shall be no vehicular movement on April 24 through Zojila” Kargil police said in a tweet.
A traffic police official in Srinagar said that scores of vehicles are stranded on the Zojila pass side awaiting the clearance of the road to move towards Kashmir valley.
He said the BRO has pressed its men and machinery to clear the road of snow to make it traffic worthy. However, he could not divulge the exact date when the road will be put through for normal traffic.
