SRINAGAR: The 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh national highway, the only road connecting Ladakh region with Kashmir valley, was closed on Tuesday due to snowfall.
The authorities had last night issued a warning of moderate to heavy rain or snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir till October 10.
''We have suspended traffic on the Leh national highway following snowfall at Zojilla and adjoining areas since late Monday night,'' a traffic police official told UNI.
He said the road has become very slippery and there was a threat of landslides and accident forcing authorities not to allow any traffic today from either side of Zojila.
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has already pressed into service sophisticated machines and men to put through the highway.
The weather has also improved and snow clearance operation was going on in full swing.
However, he said, traffic will be resumed only after receiving a green signal from the BRO and traffic police officials posted at different places, including at Drass and Sonmarg.
Official sources said hundreds of Kashmir-bound vehicles, including those carrying passengers and empty trucks and oil tankers, which were scheduled to leave Drass and Meenmarg on another side of the Zojila pass early this morning, have been stopped there.
Similarly, Ladakh-bound vehicles, including trucks with essentials, are stranded at Sonamarg.
The sources said hundreds of vehicles are being pressed into service daily to stock essentials in different parts of the Ladakh region which remained cut off during winter due to heavy snowfall.