Fresh heavy snowfall on Saturday cut off Kashmir Valley from the rest of the country as thick pile of snow on either side of the Jawahar Tunnel led to the closure of the Srinagar-Jammu national highway.
The snowfall also forced cancellation of several flights from Srinagar Airport.
The nearly 300-km, arterial highway was closed for vehicular traffic following heavy snowfall, officials said.
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Around two feet of snow accumulated around the tunnel in Qazigund area during the night, Aamir Ali, coordinator of Natural Disaster Management Cell, told PTI.
However, he said vehicles stranded on either side of the Tunnel were allowed to move this afternoon after the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) cleared the highway.
“Only stranded vehicles are allowed to move to reach their destinations,” he said, adding that if the weather permits, the highway will be reopened for traffic tomorrow.
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He also said no civil flight could operate from Srinagar airport so far due to “poor visibility.”
“Four flights have been cancelled due to bad weather till 2:20 p.m.,” an airport spokesman said.
Snowfall started in the high altitude areas of the Kashmir Valley including Gulmarg on Thursday night and was still continuing intermittently, Mr. Ali said.
About 12 inches of fresh snow was recorded at Gulmarg, while about three feet of snow had accumulated in Gurez sector near the Line of Control in Bandipora district till noon.