- Kashmir cut off due to snowfall, air traffic affected
- 3 Army jawans missing in Gurez after avalanche
A white blanket covered Srinagar on Tuesday as it recorded first snowfall of the season.
Rains lashed Srinagar and other plain areas of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday while upper reaches received snow, ending long dry spell.
Roof and treetops were draped in white as people woke up in Srinagar today morning. The open fields and parks were also under white blanket.
A MeT spokesman said that Srinagar recorded two-inches of snow since last night.
Meanwhile, Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and the Mughal road were closed for traffic for the second consecutive day on Tuesday due to continuous snow and rain.
The nearly 300-km highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, was closed as a precautionary measure in view of the heavy rain at Banihal, Ramban and Patnitop and snow on both sides of the Jawahar Tunnel.
“The highway is closed for second day on Tuesday. The highway was closed following heavy snow at Jawahar tunnel, Patnitop and Ramban area besides landslides triggered at Pathiyal early on Tuesday,” he said.
As per the advisory of traffic police department passengers planning to travel on the highway in coming days should contact traffic control room before leaving for their destinations.
Mughal road, connecting the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu region with south Kashmir’s Shopian district, has also been closed for the second day.
“There has been heavy snow in Pir Ki Gali and other areas en route Mughal road resulting in closure,” he said.
The traffic was suspended on Mughal road on Monday evening as a precautionary measure in view of the weather forecast predicting moderate to heavy snow in the high-altitude areas under the influence of a Western disturbance from December 11 to 14.
There was very heavy snow in hills of Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Kathua, Rajouri, Reasi and Poonch districts of Jammu region. As a result of which some inter-district and inter-state roads have been closed for traffic due to snow.
Jammu on Monday recorded the lowest day temperature as the mercury nosedived by almost nine notches amid incessant rain to settle nine degrees below normal during this part of the season.
The drop in the day temperature was the result of the prevailing weather condition which resulted in rain in the plains and snow in high-altitude areas.
The Kashmir valley was cut off from the rest of the country today as flight operations at the Srinagar airport were suspended and the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway was closed for traffic due to snowfall.
Flights services to and fro from the Srinagar International Airport have been hit due to poor visibility caused by heavy snowfall, airport authorities said.
Director, Srinagar airport, Sharad Kumar said, “Air traffic to and fro from Srinagar airport has been suspended due to low visibility.”
The situation will be reviewed around noon and if visibility improves flight operations will be restored, he said.
“The highway has been closed due to accumulation of snow at the Jawahar Tunnel, turning the road slippery and unsafe for traffic,” Traffic police officials said.
There were also incidents of shooting stones near Panthal, leading to the highway’s closure, they said.
Three army jawans posted in Baktore Nani in Gurez have gone missing after the area was hit by a snow avalanche. Since Sunday night, the area has had snowfall reaching almost 5 feet.
Earlier in January this year, 10 soldiers were killed due to avalanche in Gurez near Line of Control in North Kashmir’s Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir.
