Hundreds of vehicles stranded due to massive landslide in Poonch district; BRO restores NH-144 after 5-hour halt
Poonch, June 13
More than 200 small and heavy vehicles were stranded for several hours due to the road blockage in Poonch district on Saturday after intense weather conditions caused a landslide near Lasana, obstructing the vital NH-144.
BRO (Border Roads Organisation) teams, along with administration, rushed to the spot, and the road-clearing operation was undertaken on a war footing.
The BRO teams confirmed that after a 5-hour operation, the road was cleared and opened for general traffic, allowing the stranded vehicles to safely proceed toward their destinations.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, Light rain over Dal Lake in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar created a calm and scenic view, while the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that cloudy skies with the possibility of rain or thunderstorms will continue in the city till tomorrow.
For Northwest India, the IMD has forecast fairly widespread rainfall in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, along with scattered rain over Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. The region is also likely to witness thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds during 13-18 June, with stronger wind activity expected in parts of Jammu and Kashmir.
According to the IMD morning bulletin, weather conditions indicate the advance of the southwest monsoon, which is currently progressing over parts of the central Arabian Sea and several regions including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand and Bihar over the next few days.
On the other hand, earlier on Wednesday, massive forest fires broke out at multiple locations across Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, officials said.
The fires, which spread across several forest ranges, were being attributed to the prevailing heatwave conditions and a prolonged dry spell in the region.
Earlier, several forest fire incidents were reported across the Rajouri Forest Division amid an ongoing heatwave. Teams from the Forest Department, Forest Protection Force, Social Forestry Department and local volunteers were deployed in firefighting operations to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to dense forest areas.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Amazing work by the BRO! 200+ vehicles stuck for 5 hours is no joke. The monsoon advance is good news for farmers across India after the heatwave we've had. J&K's weather is unpredictable, but glad everyone is safe.
This is a serious matter in hilly areas. But let's be honest, NH-144 is a lifeline for Poonch and Rajouri. The same day forest fires in Rajouri? This is climate change hitting us hard. Heatwave + dry spell = disasters. Need more preventive action.
Dal Lake in rain is such a serene visual in contrast to landslides and fires! 😌 Glad the BRO acted fast. The monsoon moving north is a relief after weeks of heat. Let's hope J&K gets more rainfall to prevent forest fires.
Impressive BRO response time. But these landslides are becoming more frequent due to infrastructure development without proper environmental assessment. We need better drainage and slope protection, not just reactive clearing. The forest fires in Rajouri are a warning sign.
Koi baat nahi, BRO is always there for us in J&K! ⚡ 5 hours is actually quick given the scale. But these forest fires in Rajouri are worrying - heatwave and dry spell making things worse for locals. Monsoon can't come soon enough.
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