Srinagar, Mar 5: An army soldier was killed and another injured when trapped a snow avalanche in Kargil district of Ladakh region on Saturday.
With weather considerably improving, the Srinagar-Jammu highway was, meanwhile, thrown open for traffic this morning.
Sources said, soldiers Rajiv G and Satish Patil of Army's 168 Field Regiment came under the snow avalanche in the wee hours today at Chinigund. While Rajiv died on the spot, Patil was rescued, they said.
Meanwhile, Kashmir Valley witnessed a bright sunny day today providing relief to people from the cold wave in the wake of continuous rain and snowfall over the past few days.
 The Srinagar-Jammu highway was thrown open for traffic this morning after remaining shut for the past three days.
 “More than 3500 vehicles crossed Qazigund by 5.00 pm today,” Senior Superintendent of Police traffic rural Kashmir GM Wadoo said.
 “About 2000 trucks and 1586 light motor vehicles reached here from Jammu by this evening .Tomorrow traffic would ply from Srinagar to Jammu and all the passenger vehicles are directed to cross Khannabal by 1200 hours and trucks should cross Qazigund by 1600 hours,” he said.
 However, Batote-Doda-Kishtwar link, remained closed for the second consecutive day today following landslides, officials said.
 “No vehicle was allowed to ply on the road today,” they said, adding that road clearance work was on.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 5 Mar 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 5 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 6 Mar 2011 00:00:00 IST