Srinagar, Jan 25: A truck driver was killed and other two persons were injured after rolling boulders hit two vehicles in Magarkot area along Srinagar-Jammu highway on Wednesday. Following the continuous shooting stones at multiple places, vehicular traffic has been suspended from both ways, officials said.
SSP Ramban and National Highway, Mohita Sharma told Rising Kashmir that boulders rolled down at Magarkot hit a tanker and truck. The driver of the truck died on spot and the injured were shifted to a hospital. Following the incident, a rescue operation was launched in the area, she said.
Police identified the deceased driver as Muneeb Ahmed Hajam son of Abdul Rehman Hajam, a resident of the area in Kulgam who was 21 years old. The injured were Gopal Singh, and Rajinder Nath, residents of Batote.
SSP Sharma said due to intermittent shooting stones at Bisleri Nallah and Panthyal and slide at Mehar, Jammu-Srinagar national highway has been closed for traffic. It will only resume after the clearance of debris from the spot.
In a tweet, J&K Traffic Police spokesman said that the Srinagar-Jammu highway is blocked due to shooting stones, landslides, and mudslides at several places between Charkote and Banihal.
“People are advised not to travel on Jammu Srinagar NHW between Nashri and Banihal,” he said.
The highway is the main link connecting the Union Territory with the rest of the country. All essential supplies and vehicles pass through the highway.
In view of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, the traffic department has issued a detailed advisory to ensure hassle-free vehicular movement on the highway and avoid any unnecessary inconvenience to the people.
The department has declared the yatra route from Batti-Matra-forest check post road as a “no traffic zone” and also advised people of Ramban town and adjoining areas not to park any vehicle on the road during the foot march.
The traffic department said no vehicle would be allowed from Qazigund (Kashmir) towards Ramban till the yatra reaches its camping site at Lamber in Banihal, where it will stay for the night before entering Kashmir on January 27.
