Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44)closed due to landslides, mudslides, and shooting stones
JAMMU: A couple died and four others were injured after a massive boulder fell on a tempo on Jammu-Srinagar national highway (NH-44) near Gangroo in Ramban district Wednesday. Meanwhile, J&K DyCM Surinder Chowdhary and NC Anantnag-Rajouri MP Mian Altaf Ahmad narrowly escaped separate landslides on Jammu-Poonch highway, even as a multi-agency search operation to trace seven missing people in Murrah, Chang Nallah in Poonch’s Surankote entered the fourth day.Officials said the tempo was heading from Srinagar to Doda on NH-44 when a boulder rolled down the hill and struck it. Doda residents Nazir Ahmed and his wife Shakeela Begum died. Police, rescue teams, and local authorities rushed to the spot and moved the bodies, as well as the injured individuals, to Ramsoo PHC.NC MP Ahmed was touring flood-hit areas in Poonch to assess the extent of damage caused by flash floods and incessant rains, when his vehicle got stuck in an active landslide on Jammu-Poonch highway. He escaped unhurt. DyCM Choudhary’s vehicle was hit by a separate landslide on the same highway near Chingus area. Choudhary escaped unhurt, but his vehicle was damaged.Vehicular movement on Jammu-Srinagar NH was suspended following multiple landslides as relentless rainfall battered Jammu region for the fourth day, triggering landslides, mudslides and shooting stones at nearly a dozen places between Udhampur and Banihal. IMD predicted moderate to heavy rains till Thursday evening. “Commuters are advised not to undertake any journey on the highway until the weather improves, and the road is declared safe for traffic,” an official said, adding that clearance agencies were removing debris.Rajouri Police issued an advisory, stating that water levels in rivers had begun to rise again. “Everyone is requested to vacate riverbanks and vulnerable areas immediately and stay alert,” it said.All major pilgrimages — including Amarnath Yatra, Vaishno Devi Yatra, and Machail Mata yatra — have remained suspended in J&K since July 19.
