Jammu-Pathankot, Jammu-Srinagar Highways Shut As Rains Trigger Landslides, Bridge Collapses

Torrential rains in Jammu and Kashmir have thrown life out of gear, snapping road connectivity across several districts and causing multiple casualties. The Jammu-Pathankot and Jammu-Srinagar national highways, along with key inter-district roads, have been shut following landslides, swollen rivers, and damaged bridges.

A landslide on the route to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra on Tuesday killed at least six people, while several others are feared trapped. In Doda district, four more people lost their lives in separate rain-related incidents.

Traffic on the vital Jammu–Pathankot highway came to a standstill near Vijaypur in Samba district after a pillar of the Devak river bridge collapsed. “We have stopped traffic from both the Jammu and Kathua sides. The highway is completely closed for now,” said SSP Traffic Rural Jammu, Girdhari Lal Sharma. Hundreds of vehicles, including trucks and private cars, are stranded at different points.

Authorities said heavy flow of water in the Basanter Khad, Iarnah Khad, Ujh river, and Sahar Khad, coupled with relentless rains in Jammu, Samba, and Kathua districts over the last two days, forced suspension of movement of heavy vehicles.

The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway — the sole all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country — also remains closed due to landslides and shooting stones. The stretch between Jammu and Udhampur is blocked at multiple locations.

In Jammu city, the main Bikram Chowk–Dogra Chowk bridge and the Fourth Tawi bridge were closed on Monday evening after a surge in the river’s flow. A connecting road to the Fourth bridge caved in, sending four vehicles tumbling into a gorge. Fortunately, no casualties were reported.

Several inter-district roads have also been cut off. The Bani-Basohli road was blocked at Sukha Nallah, the Basohli-Mabanru road at Dhani, the Mahappur-Kathua road at Peddy Nallah, and the Qiala Chak-Ramkote road near Kali Mata Mandir in Galak. In Kashmir, the Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri road was shut following a landslide near Bajri Nallah.

Officials have urged people to avoid travel until clearance operations are complete and weather conditions improve.

Meanwhile, Jammu city recorded over 250 mm of rainfall in the past 20 hours, pushing rivers across the region above danger levels.

The Tawi river in Udhampur swelled to 36.1 feet — 13 feet above the evacuation mark and four feet higher than the 2014 flood record. In Jammu, it touched 34 feet, exceeding the danger level by 11 feet and surpassing the 2014 peak by a foot.

The Basanter river in Samba surged to 9 feet, its highest-ever level, well past the evacuation threshold. The Devak river crossed the danger mark of 4.3 feet, coming within six inches of evacuation level. In Kathua, the Tarnah river hit 4.6 feet — the red mark — while the Ujh Nallah at Panjtirthi and Kathua overflowed beyond safe limits. The Ravi river, too, was reported to be flowing close to danger level.