Vehicles stranded on other side of Zojila pass on Leh highway

Srinagar, Nov 13 : Several dozens of vehicles, mostly trucks, are stranded on other side of the Zojila Pass which was closed after a vehicle developed some trouble near India Gate on Srinagar-Leh national highway.

Efforts were on to remove the vehicle from the main road and allow stranded vehicles to move towards Srinagar, a traffic police official told UNI here today.

He said, after remaining closed from November 9 following heavy snowfall, one-way traffic was restored on the highway yesterday afternoon.

However, a truck on way to Srinagar from Leh developed some technical problem near India Gate, forcing authorities to stop all vehicles at different points on the other side of the Zojila pass.

A crane from the Army was summoned to remove the vehicle from the road so that stranded vehicles could be allowed to move towards here, he said, adding but unfortunately chain of the crane was damaged in the process of pulling the vehicle.

''We have requested the Army authorities for another crane'', he said and admitted that several dozen vehicles, mostly trucks were stranded on the highway.

He said the weather was cloudy in the entire belt.

The road from Sonamarg to Drass remained most affected during the winter while from Drass, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia, to Leh remained almost open throughout the year despite snowfall, he added.

Now the authorities had decided to construct a tunnel at Zojila to make it all weather road.

The highway was to close officially from November 1 for six winter months, but the traffic were allowed following dry weather.

However, snowfall on November 9 forced authorities to close the highway.

--UNI

(c) 2009 Published with permission from United News of India.
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