Traffic suspended on national highway as fresh landslide claims three lives on Jammu-Srinagar highway

The death toll after a landslide on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway following heavy rains in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir rose to three after rescuers retrived two more bodies, official said on Tuesday.

The bodies of the three members of a nomad family were recovered from under the debris at Jammu’s Mahore area, officials added. A 30-year-old man, his 25-year-old wife and their son got buried along with livestock under the debris late on Monday-25 following heavy rainfall, they said.

JS Johar, senior superindent of police (national highway), said a mudslide swept away stretch of the road at Dalwas and it will take some time to reconstruct it.

Traffic movement was also blocked due to the landslide at Jammu’s Dalwas-Ramban area. National Highway authorities have requested people not to travel without confirming the status of the road from control units at Ramban, Jammu, Srinagar and Udhampur.

This is the second time the highway was closed for traffic due to landslides. The Jammu-Srinagar national highway was closed for traffic on August 14 due to a massive landslide in Ramban district that left more than 200 vehicles stranded, an official said.