Snowfall and rain paralyze life in Indian-administered Kashmir

SRINAGAR, Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir

Heavy snowfall and rain disrupted normal life across Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, cutting off key road and air links and triggering widespread power outages, officials said.

The Srinagar-Jammu highway, the region’s main all-weather road connection, was closed after heavy snow accumulation made travel unsafe. Regional traffic authorities said movement on the highway had been suspended and urged people not to travel.

Air traffic was also disrupted as snowfall and low visibility affected operations at Srinagar Airport. An airport official said no flights had operated so far Friday morning because of snow on the runway, adding that at least 20 passenger flights were canceled due to the inclement weather.

Power supply was hit across much of the region after strong winds late Thursday night, according to the Kashmir Power Development Department. Officials said electricity was disrupted in most areas and restoration work was underway.

Earlier, a windstorm damaged rooftops, collapsed walls and uprooted trees at several locations across the region.

The regional meteorological department had forecast heavy snowfall in higher elevations and moderate snowfall in the plains, accompanied by strong winds. Mukhtar Ahmad, director of the Meteorological Department in the region, said two strong western disturbances struck Kashmir, bringing the predicted snowfall.

He said the precipitation provided relief after several years of dry winters, noting that Kashmir had faced a precipitation deficit of nearly 80% over the past two months.