Tauseef Ahmad
Bandipora: Traffic movement along the strategic Bandipora–Gurez road was suspended on Sunday after two back-to-back snow avalanches struck the route in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district, officials said.
The avalanches hit the 85-km-long road that connects Bandipora with the remote Gurez Valley, blocking the only surface link to the border area.
According to officials from the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), one of the major avalanches occurred at kilometre 60 on the Bandipora–Gurez (BG) road. The avalanche was estimated to be around 200 metres long and nearly 10 feet high, completely blocking the road.
Another avalanche was reported nearly a kilometre from Korkbal village, further disrupting vehicular movement and forcing authorities to suspend traffic on the route as a precautionary measure.
Officials said the region had recently received nearly three to four feet of fresh snowfall, significantly increasing the risk of avalanches along the mountainous stretch of the road.
Despite the intensity of the snow slides, no injuries or casualties were reported. Officials attributed the absence of loss of life or damage to property to the lack of traffic movement at the time of the incidents.
Soon after the avalanches were reported, the BRO pressed its men and machinery into service to restore connectivity. Around 56 RCC teams were deployed to the affected locations to carry out snow clearance and road restoration work.
Authorities said snow clearance operations are currently underway on a war footing to reopen the road as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, commuters have been advised to avoid travel on the Bandipora–Gurez road until it is declared safe. Travelers have also been urged to contact the district control room for real-time updates before undertaking any journey.
