Jammu-Srinagar national highway remains shut for 3rd day

JAMMU: Traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway (NH-44) remained suspended for the third consecutive day on Wednesday, even as fresh landslides continued amid heavy rains in Ramban district, officials said.

Due to recent rainfall, NH-44 — the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country — was blocked by multiple landslides early Monday. Though it reopened partially on Tuesday morning for a brief period, two major landslides forced its closure again.

According to a traffic advisory posted on X at 3pm Wednesday, the highway was still blocked, and clearance operations were underway at Shalgarhi and Banihal. “People are advised not to travel on NH-44 until the road is fully restored,” it stated.

Officials said over 400 vehicles were stranded, while intermittent rains continued to hamper restoration efforts. Traffic authorities urged citizens to ignore rumours and check road conditions only on the official social media handles and contact numbers.