Cloudburst Damages Vital Srinagar-Leh Highway

A cloudburst in Ganderbal district, Jammu and Kashmir, has damaged the Srinagar-Leh national highway, resulting in its closure. Flash floods have also damaged buildings, including residential houses. Authorities are on the ground providing assistance, but traffic remains suspended, cutting off the Kashmir valley from Ladakh.

A cloudburst in Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir has led to the closure of the crucial Srinagar-Leh national highway, officials reported on Sunday.

'The traffic on Srinagar-Leh road has been suspended until further notice due to road damage at Kacherwan in Ganderbal district,' an official from the traffic control room stated.

He explained that the road was damaged by a cloudburst during the intervening night, leading to flash floods.

A police official confirmed that several buildings, including residential homes, suffered damage due to the flash floods caused by the cloudburst.

Authorities are actively on-site to provide assistance to those affected, the official added.

The highway closure has severed connectivity between the Kashmir valley and the Ladakh union territory, also making the Baltal base camp for the Amarnath yatra inaccessible.

(With inputs from agencies.)