Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 26: The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway which remained closed for the second successive day due to massive land- slides near Ramban, was re-opened for traffic this evening.
Official sources said that the highway which was opened for a brief period near Magarkote late last evening was again blocked due to fresh landslides. There was rain during night and fresh landslides again hit the highway at the same place between Ramsoo and Magarkote. Hundreds of vehicles remained stranded on both sides of the highway .
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Sources said that the road clearance operation got hampered due to intermittent rains. Explosives were used to blast the huge rocks which had rolled down on the highway to make the passage. Some stranded passengers had to move through a Nallah near Magarkote for tranship in the other light motor vehicles for reaching to their destinations.
“No vehicle was allowed to move from either Jammu or Srinagar on the highway during the day today,” the official said adding that was preference given to stranded passenger vehicles after the road clearance.
Many vehicles returned to the places of their origin but those which remained stranded at different places along the highway moved to safer places and their passengers accommodated in shelter sheds and provided meals, the official said.
Senior civil and police officers including Deputy Commissioner Ramban, monitored personally the road clearance operation and ensured that all stranded passengers are provided meals. As the highway was cleared at around 6.45 pm, the light motor vehicles were allowed to be cleared first. They were followed by other passenger vehicles/ buses, the spokesman said.
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