Jammu, March 15 More than 30 light motor vehicles were stranded after moderate snowfall at Sinthan top and Margan top in the Kishtwar district on Sunday, prompting a joint rescue operation by police and civil administration officials.
The vehicles got stuck due to fresh snowfall and slippery road conditions at the high-altitude passes, disrupting traffic movement on the road connecting Kishtwar in Jammu with south Kashmir's Anantnag district, they said.
The officials said that soon after receiving information, teams from the police, Army, and the civil administration rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation to ensure the safety of the stranded passengers.
Snow clearance machines were deployed from both the Kishtwar and Anantnag sides, and efforts were underway to move all vehicles to safer locations, they said.
All passengers were safe and were being assisted by the rescue teams, while continuous snowfall and low temperatures were making the operation challenging, they added.
Authorities have advised commuters to avoid travel on the Sinthan-Margan stretch of the road until weather conditions improve and the route is declared safe for movement.
Meanwhile, the traffic on the Mughal road connecting the border districts of Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu with south Kashmir's Shopian district was also suspended on Sunday evening due to fresh snowfall at Pir Ki Gali and adjoining areas, the officials said.