VECHiles stuck in the ruins after heavy rain launched lightning floods, in the Ramban District in J&K, April 21, 2025 | Photo Credit: Imran Nissar
The National Highway Jammu-Srinagar The affected landslide remained closed on the second day on Monday (April 21, 2025), and the Nhai higher official said that road traffic, which takes place in 20 locations, probably lasts about six days.
Hundreds of vehicles were left to a strategic 250-kilometer highway-a unique road in any weather connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country-on Sunday (April 20, 2025) after heavy rainfall and cloudtsts launched lightning basins, sets and muds in Jammu and Kashmir Ramban district.
Three people, including two smaller siblings, were killed and more than 100 people were saved because the natural calamity caused massive infrastructure damage, including roads and residential buildings. Several vehicles were also buried under the debris.
“We are facing a challenging situation due to massive mud deposits on the highway for more than a dozen places, especially on the four -cell section between series and maroog. The sludge height in some places is more than 20 feet,” said National Highway Authorities in India (Nhai) Purshottam Kumar.
The main machinery of the agency, including terrestrial drivers, is buried under the debris, he added.
“Despite the limited resources of our own resources, we organized machines from private suppliers and put them on 20 affected places at the same time to speed up restoration work,” he said, expressing satisfaction in an improved weather after two days.
However, Mr. Kumar said that the highway is likely to take five to six days to reopen for operation.
The highway suffered great damage near Panthiyal and Kela Morh, he added.
Meanwhile, they were stuck commuters, including two newlywed couples, seen on foot to reach their destinations.
“The road is destroyed (in many places). The situation is very bad,” said Rajasthan native of Devi Lal, who is heading home from the Magam area in the central Kesmiro Budgam district, PTI said in Ramban.
Mr. Lal, accompanied by other members of his community, including women and children, said they walked to cross problematic sections before boarding the bus to Jammu.
Jamna, who had a smaller child on her shoulders, said stones and boulders still descend from the hills overlooking the highway and added that the situation was scary.
“We haven’t taken food in the last two days,” she said when the group got to Udhampur.
Zahir Ahmad and Zahreer Bano, dressed in wedding clothes, expected a smooth ride to their new life, but turned into an unforgettable journey because the newlywed couple had to go from the Chenani bride’s home to the groom’s residence in Ramban.
“It was tiring, but in a way he did an even more special day,” Mr. Ahmad said, adding that he did not want any other person to experience such suffering.
Published – April 21, 2025 01:17
