Massive Landslide Chokes Jammu-Poonch National Highway, Cutting Off Critical Transit Route

A major landslide tore down the mountainside in Poonch district early Saturday morning, completely burying a vital stretch of the Jammu-Poonch National Highway and paralyzing all vehicular movement along the corridor.

The collapse occurred near the Lassana and Madana pockets of Surankote tehsil. A torrent of boulders and heavy mud cascaded directly onto the tarmac, instantly severing the connection between the two major hubs and leaving hundreds of commuters, passenger buses, and freight trucks stranded in long, gridlocked lines.

Road maintenance crews and local authorities rushed heavy earth-moving equipment and excavators to the disaster zone to begin the daunting task of shifting the debris.

Engineers on the ground warn that the operation requires extreme caution. The hillside remains highly unstable, and the persistent threat of falling rocks is complicating the cleanup.

Traffic management officials have completely frozen movement along the route for safety reasons. They stated that the highway will remain closed to all commercial and private vehicles until the lanes are entirely cleared and structural engineers certify that the mountain slope has settled enough to allow safe passage.

Travelers planning to use the Surankote section of the highway are being urged to delay their journeys and verify road conditions with regional control rooms before heading out.

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