Advertisement

Updated January 22nd, 2019 at 17:06 IST

Avalanche in J&K blocks Jawahar tunnel on Jammu-Srinagar highway, authorities mount snow-clearing effort

A massive avalanche in a snow-struck Jammu and Kashmir has caused the Jawahar tunnel on the Jammu-Srinagar highway to be closed.

Reported by: Ankit Prasad
| Image:self
Advertisement

A massive avalanche in a snow-struck Jammu and Kashmir has caused the Jawahar tunnel on the Jammu-Srinagar highway to be closed.

The avalanche hit the tunnel to the north side, blocking both its tubes from the Qazigund side, causing the authorities to suspend traffic on the route even as rescue teams have been rushed to the spot to assist in clearing the snow.

The Jawahar tunnel, which opened in the 1950s, is just short of 3km long and is an essential enabler of connectivity between Jammu and Kashmir's summer and winter capitals. An all-weather alternative to it is being developed, while a train line between Banihal, which is to the south end of the Jawahar tunnel, provides connectivity to Srinagar as well as tourist hotspots like Gulmarg and Pahalgam, on its way to Baramullah.

Visuals of the Jawahar tunnel accessed by Republic TV show vast quantities of snow blocking the portal.

The road route between Jammu and Srinagar is susceptible to the elements at various points through the year, especially during the winter and rainy seasons. Rockslides frequently block the highway necessitating the mobilisation of earth-movers to clear paths.

On Friday, an avalanche had hit a truck passing through Khardung La in Jammu and Kashmir's Ladakh district. There were ten labourers in the truck, of which seven bodies have been recovered by the Indian Army and other rescue authorities under treacherous and sub-zero conditions.

Advertisement

Published January 22nd, 2019 at 09:37 IST

Your Voice. Now Direct.

Send us your views, we’ll publish them. This section is moderated.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending Quicks

How to Keep Yourself Safe from Unhealthy Air?
a few seconds ago
TMC Delgation at ECI Office
10 minutes ago
Congress Press Conference
17 minutes ago
Raw Mango
18 minutes ago
Gen Z worker goes to the salon while “working from home”
19 minutes ago
Lionel Messi
21 minutes ago
Jailed Gangster Mukhtar Ansari Passes Away
23 minutes ago
Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE
26 minutes ago
Tie-dye printed shirts
31 minutes ago
Sri Lanka on High Alert on Good Friday
32 minutes ago
Gautam Gambhir gets into a fight with Virat Kohli
32 minutes ago
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Whatsapp logo