Fayaz Bukhari/
Gopal Sharma
SRINAGAR/ JAMMU, Dec 12: Five soldiers went missing after their posts in Nowgam and Gurez sectors of North Kashmir’s Kupwara and Bandipora districts were hit by avalanches and landslides today and 70 persons including 42 labourers, trapped in snow on Mughal Road, were rescued in Poonch area while due to continuous rain and snowfall, Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remained closed on the second consecutive day today.
The snowfall in Srinagar city and poor visibility in morning hours, also affected operation of flights while chopper service at Mata Vaishnodevi shrine from Katra base camp remained hit due to bad weather.
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An avalanche struck Nani Post of Army’s 36 RR in Baktoor area of Kanzalwan in Gurez sector of Bandipora district late last night. Three soldiers went missing and massive search operation has been started but there was no trace of these soldiers.
In another incident, a landslide struck Patila Post of Army’s 20 Dogra Regiment in Nowgam sector of Handwara, late last night. The landslide left two soldiers missing. At both places, rescue operations are underway but so far there is no success. The soldiers are feared to be dead but efforts are on to trace them.
Due to heavy snowfall in Jawahar Tunnel area and land slides between Ramban and Banihal belt, the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remained closed on the second consecutive day, at least 70 people trapped on Mughal Road in district Poonch were rescued by police while with the heavy rain and snowfall at the higher reaches, entire region has been reeling under cold wave.
While the traffic was operational on Jammu-Doda and Jammu-Rajouri-Poonch roads, due to land slides between Thathri and Kishtwar this evening, the traffic on Doda-Kishtwar road has been suspended. There was about 2-3 feet snow in Pir Gali area of the Pir Panjal on Mughal Road and there was no scope of reopening of this highway in next couple of days.
A senior police official told the Excelsior that at least 42 labourers from outside the State and some passengers had been trapped in the snow between Pir Ki Gali, Chhattapani and Poshana area on Mughal Road in Poonch area since yesterday. The police party from Surankote and Bafliaz rushed for the rescue and they brought them back in the police vehicles. They also moved on foot for long leaving behind their vehicles trapped in snow. He disclosed that there was about two to three feet snow in Pir Gali area and there was no scope of reopening of this road even after 2-3 days. The rescued people have left for Rajouri and Jammu, he added.
IG Traffic (J&K), Jagjit Kumar told the Excelsior that due to land- slides at four places including Marog, Panthial, Maggarkote and Nachlana area between Ramban and Banihal, the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway could not be opened to traffic. He said there was heavy snowfall in Jawahar Tunnel area of Pir Panjal and the entire patch could not be cleared for traffic. The highway was slippery and risk prone. Due to rain and bad weather, the snowfall in this belt continued. The road clearance authorities were on the job but it could not be cleared for safe traffic. Some stranded vehicles on Banihal side of the tunnel were cleared. He said if weather improved tomorrow, the highway clearance work would be resumed again.
Kumar further disclosed that traffic on Jammu-Udhampur-Doda road was operational. Even Doda-Bhaderwah road was clear but due to fresh land slide between Thathri and Kishtwar, the Doda-Kishtwar road has been closed. Scores of vehicles were reported to have been stranded on this road. He disclosed that no heavy vehicle including trucks/ all type of goods carriers were allowed to move ahead from Udhampur onwards and from Nagrota (Jammu side) since yesterday. Some light vehicles were reported to have been stranded in Banihal and Ramban areas. “We had already taken the precautionary measures and the movement of vehicles from Kashmir side was stopped immediately at Qazigund and from Udhampur TCP onwards as well.
SP Traffic, National Highway Sanjay Bhagat said that about 850-900 trucks/ load carriers were stranded on Udhampur Bypass, Dhar Road in Manwal area till this evening and the number was gradually increasing. He said two land- slide points were cleared in Ramban area but at Marog there was massive land slides and the road was totally washed away with heavy boulders and slides. This area will take much time for clearance. Due to rain today again the work could not be executed there and in the evening some work was started but due to darkness it was risky to deploy machines there. Tomorrow again, the work would be resumed at this site. Panthial point was also trouble prone since late this evening. He said in Nagrota bypass area also about 700-800 vehicles said to have been stranded.
Meanwhile due to closure of Highway a large number of Kashmir bound vehicles and passengers have been stranded at Jammu Bus Stand. Many trains are also arriving late due to bad weather but with rain the northern region, there is some improvement in the visibility.
Chopper service to Mata Vaishnodevi shrine from base camp also remained suspended for long due to bad weather and Shrine Board authorities closed new track since morning for precautionary measures. It was, however, opened in the evening after the weather improved.
Mahore-Gool-Ramban road was closed due to heavy snow fall at Daggan Top while Reasi Mahore Road which was closed due to land slides at Malai nallah last night was restored this afternoon. A large number of vehicles also remained stranded for about eight hours today.
Police and local people rescued 7 persons trapped in Tawi near Marh this afternoon.
Meanwhile, Kashmir valley received fresh snowfall affecting normal life, air and surface traffic. Srinagar received season’s first snowfall and according to the MeT Department, the city recorded 2 inch snowfall. The plains and higher reaches of Shopian, Pulwama, Kulgam, Anantnag, Ganderbal, Baramulla, Kupwara, Budgam and Bandipora also received snowfall.
There was heavy snowfall in Shopian district, where one feet of snow had accumulated in the main town in the morning. The upper reaches of the district also recorded heavy snowfall. The snow accumulation in Qazigund was 6-7 inch and one foot at Jawahar Tunnel along Srinagar-Jammu National Highway. Nearly 2.5 feet of snow was recorded in Sonamarg in Ganderbal district. The Pahalgam and Gulmarg tourist resorts also received fresh snowfall. Gulmarg received around 2 feet of snow.
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Baseer Ahmad Khan today advised intending passengers not to undertake journey on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway till it is cleared for traffic.
“It has come to our notice that a large number of passengers are boarding the Baramulla-Srinagar-Banihal train, with the intention of travelling by road from Banihal to Jammu. Such passengers are getting stranded at Banihal, thereby causing inconvenience to them, as the National Highway is presently closed, due to snowfall,” he said.
The flight operations at Srinagar Airport were disrupted this morning due to poor visibility. However, in the afternoon flight operations resumed after improvement in weather.
After snow and rains, there was some improvement in weather today in the afternoon in most parts of the Kashmir. The weather is expected to improve from tomorrow evening, the MeT officials added.
The snowfall led to drop in the day temperature across Valley. Srinagar recorded the minimum temperature of minus 0.2 degrees Celsius, while day temperate settled at 5 degree Celsius, 4 degree below normal.
Qazigund in South Kashmir recorded a low of 0 degree Celsius while day temperate settled at 6 degree Celsius which is 4 degree below normal.
Kokernag in South Kashmir recorded a low of minus 0.6 degree Celsius while day temperate was 3.3 degree Celsius, 5 degrees below normal.
Kupwara in North Kashmir recorded at low of 0.8 degree Celsius while day temperate settled at 5.5 degree Celsius which is 4 degree below normal.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 6.5 degrees Celsius, while the day temperature of the ski resort was minus 1.6 degrees Celsius.
Pahalgam registered the minimum of 0.1 degree Celsius, while day temperature of the place settled at 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Leh recorded a minimum of minus 1.4 degrees Celsius while the day temperature of the place settled at 5.4 degrees Celsius.
Kargil recorded at low of minus 3 degree Celsius while day temperature settled at 1.2 degree Celsius.
In Jammu region also the reports of fresh snowfall have also been received from Latti, Dudu-Basantgarh, Bani-Sarthal, Bhaderwah, parts of Kishtwar, Doda, Ramban, Budhal in Rajouri, Nattha Top in Udhampur and higher reaches of Poonch.
With the rain for the last two days in many parts of Jammu region and snowfall at the higher reaches, there has been sharp fall in the temperature across the region. The maximum temperature of Jammu has gone below 5-8 degree Celsius below normal in last two days. The water logging in many parts of Jammu city disrupted movement of normal traffic. In some houses, the rain water entered. On Jail Road Kathua, the rain water entered many houses and it led to protests by the local residents.
A MeT spokesman said that winter capital city (Jammu) today recorded a maximum temperature of 16.1 degree C and minimum 12.5 deg C; on Monday the maximum temperature was 14.3 degree C which was about 8 degree C below normal. Katra town recorded a maximum of 13.4 Deg C and minimum 9.2 degree C temperature while Bhaderwah maximum 1.1 degree C and minimum 0.2 degree C.
He further disclosed that Jammu recorded 54.4 mm rainfall since last evening up to 5.30 pm today. He predicted light rain and thunder showers in many parts of Jammu region in next 24 hours. The weather will improve in Jammu from December 14 onwards, the spokesman added.
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