Road and air services have been suspended and power lines damaged due to a heavy snowfall that hit Indian-controlled Kashmir.
Heavy snowfall hit the plains and upper areas of Indian-controlled Kashmir, leading to road closures and flight cancellations, officials said.
A spokesman for the Department of Disaster Management said heavy snow fell in the plains as well as upper areas, leading to the closure of interdistrict roads.
“Reports of heavy snowfall are coming from Shopian, Kulgam, Anantnag, Kishtwar, Budgam and Ganderbal. The city of Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir, has also received snowfall,” the spokesman said. “In many places in Kulgam, Anantnag and Kishtwar, the snow cover is more than 2 to 3 feet deep.”
The accumulation of snow has disrupted traffic on roads and damaged power lines, leading to power outages in some areas.
Authorities said traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu highway has been suspended due to snow accumulation in many places, especially in Banihal.
Meanwhile, air traffic to and from Srinagar has been badly affected. All scheduled flights at Srinagar International Airport were cancelled on Saturday due to inclement weather and poor visibility.
“All flights scheduled from Srinagar today have been delayed or rescheduled due to bad weather,” an airport official said.
Local authorities have also suspended domestic rail service due to the snowfall as the track remains covered with snow.
Authorities have issued an avalanche warning for residents in upper areas and areas near the Line of Control (LoC).
Residents in snow-covered areas were urged to take precautions and stay off steep slopes for the next 48 hours.
