A day after Srinagar-Kargil highway reopened for traffic, it was closed again on Monday due to fresh snowfall in upper reaches including Zojila pass on the highway.
Reports said that over two dozen vehicles including trucks and passengers buses were safely evacuated during a joint rescue operation by police, traffic police, beacon and army on Monday morning.
They said about 1ft of fresh snowfall had accumulated on highway.
Superintendent of police traffic rural Muzafar Ahmed Shah told Greater Kashmir that the highway was closed for traffic on Monday till improvement in weather and road conditions.
“We have closed the highway for traffic due to accumulation of fresh snowfall, there is no vehicle stranded on the highway as all the stranded vehicles were cleared early morning,” SP told Greater Kashmir.
Police said it launched a massive rescue operation after a fresh spell of heavy snowfall at Zojila and evacuated several stranded vehicles and passengers.
Rescue teams of Jammu and Kashmir Police assisted by the Beacon personnel started the rescue operations on Srinagar- Leh Highway at Zojila after several vehicles and passengers got stranded due to heavy snowfall in the area.
After strenuous efforts, the rescue teams managed to safely evacuate all the 250 stranded passengers and 82 vehicles which include 70 Trucks, 04 Buses and 08 Light motor vehicles. All these vehicles and passengers were shifted to Sonamarg by the rescue teams.
Pertinently the rescue operations were started at 2.30 AM midnight. Concerned territorial officers were part of the rescue operations. Drivers commuting on Srinagar-Leh National Highway have been requested to use chains on their vehicles before undertaking their journeys.