Over 5,000 Gujaratis stranded in Kashmir as roads shut for 10 days amid landslide

Multiple landslides have affected roads in Jammu and Kashmir as the region was lashed by cloudburst on Sunday.

Due to heavy rainfall near Ramban on the Jammu-Srinagar road, landslides have caused major disruptions, severely affecting the travel plans of around 10,000 tourists who had scheduled trips to Kashmir in April and early May.

The Kashmir police issued immediate advisories for travellers coming from Jammu to return, and those heading from Srinagar were advised to stay at Srinagar or nearby centres, leaving about 5,000 Gujarati tourists stranded.

Tour operators in Ahmedabad stated that they are in constant touch with Gujarati tourists. Many have had to cancel their trips to Vaishno Devi. For those currently stranded in Banihal or Ramban, arrangements are being made to move them to nearby safer locations.

On Sunday, multiple trucks got trapped between landslides on the Jammu-Srinagar highway due to the downpour, resulting in the deaths of three individuals at the scene. 

Flooding and landslides on the Ramban-Banihal highway caused several vehicles to get stuck, and reports suggest that some even fell into nearby gorges. This led to massive traffic congestion on the route for several hours. Currently, tourists stuck in Srinagar, Gulmarg, Sonamarg, and Pahalgam have to reschedule their planned return flights, leading to a sudden and steep increase in airfares. 

The prices for flights from Srinagar to Delhi, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Amritsar, and Jammu have doubled. While air travel to and from Kashmir remains operational, those relying on road or rail transport have had to cancel or postpone their journeys.

Due to this situation, air travel has become significantly more expensive. Another alternative route, the Mughal Road via Reasi to Qazigund, is still not open. This route will primarily be used by the Indian Army and heavy vehicles, causing slow traffic. It is estimated that this road closure could last for at least 10 more days.