“It was like the mountain exploded,” recall survivors

Ramban, Apr 21: What began as a routine journey turned into a nightmare for hundreds of commuters in Ramban district, where relentless rain and thunder triggered massive landslides that tore through the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway—leaving behind a trail of destruction, death, and disbelief.
In the early hours of Sunday, entire sections of the mountainside gave way, burying vehicles, livestock, trees, and stretches of tarmac under tons of mud and boulders. Survivors described the terrifying moment as “an explosion from the earth”—a sound and sight they’ll never forget.
“The whole mountain shook like an earthquake. Then it just let go,” recalled Mohammad Younis, a trucker who witnessed the horror near Mehar. “We saw the highway disappear before our eyes. A herd of sheep grazing on the slope—gone in seconds. Buried alive.”
Villagers from nearby hamlets are mourning the loss of dozens of livestock—cows, sheep, and goats crushed or swept away by the cascading earth. Ghulam Nabi, a farmer from Nachlana, broke down as he spoke about the moment he lost his animals.
“I raised them like my children—two cows and five goats. I heard them cry as the mud swallowed them. There was nothing I could do.”
Inside stranded vehicles, panic gripped passengers. “It felt like the mountain was screaming,” said Shazia Bano, a mother traveling with her 3-year-old. “There was no time. The driver yelled, ‘Run!’ We jumped out. I clutched my baby and prayed. Stones the size of buckets crashed around us.”
Tourist buses rocked, cars skidded, and people ran for their lives—many abandoning belongings in a frantic dash to safety.
“The dust was so thick you couldn’t see your own hands,” said Ravi Kumar, a driver of a Srinagar-bound bus. “A boulder hit a taxi behind us. It was flattened. People were screaming, calling out names. Some just froze in shock.”
Several key stretches—Panthyal, Nachlana, Marog, and Cafeteria Morh—were among the worst hit. Rescue teams from the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) have been working round the clock to clear the debris, but intermittent rain continues to hamper operations and pose further risk.
District authorities, along with J&K Police, have set up emergency shelters and are providing food and assistance to stranded travellers. Deputy Commissioner Ramban while speaking to Rising Kashmir said restoration is subject to weather. “If it continues to rain as it is currently, it becomes difficult to clear the debris. We are hopeful to see the road through in the next two to three days. We started road clearance operations at 7 am (Monday), but continuous rainfall spoiled everything,” he said. “In next two to three days, subject to fair weather conditions, the road will be through for one-way traffic.” He said as per the tentative assessment 13 kms of road stretch has been damaged.
“Our first priority is to rescue humans and then provide them shelter and then clear the road,” he said.
He urged people to follow the official twitter handle of DC Ramban for fresh updates and follow guidelines of the traffic department before deciding to travel on the Srinagar-Jammu highway.