Snowfall forces closure of Sadhna, Razdan, Z-Gali and Phirkiyan

Srinagar, Apr 21: Dozens of far-flung and remote villages, including those near the Line of Control (LoC) were cut off from their district and tehsil headquarters in north Kashmir districts of Kupwara and Bandipora following closure of Sadhna, Razdan passes and Phirkyan and Z-Gali due to fresh snowfall during the past 24 hours.

There was over three feet of fresh snow at Razdan pass, connecting Bandipora with border town of Gurez which is surrounded by Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK), an official of Police Control Room (PCR) from Bandipora told UNI over phone. He said traffic was suspended on Friday on the road due to snow and slippery road condition. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the maintenance of the road has already pressed into service sophisticated machine and men to clear the snow, he said.

The road was reopened early this month after remaining closed during winter due to heavy snowfall. Due to closure of the road dozens of villages, including those near LoC , including Neeru, remained cut off with their district and tehsil headquarters.

The Sadhna pass, Phirkiyan and Z-Gali were closed due to fresh snowfall due to which the road has become very slippery forcing suspension of traffic movement, a PCR official told UNI over phone from Kupwara.

Due to closure of these passes border towns of Keran, Karnah, Machil, Tangdhar and dozens of other areas were cut off from Kupwara, he said.

He said traffic on these passes will be resumed only after the snow is cleared and roads become safe for undertaking journey.

Eleven people, including an officer of BEACON, were killed in a snow avalanche at Sadhna pass in the first week of January.