JAMMU: A massive landslide on Saturday damaged a 500m-stretch of the Jammu-Srinagar national highway and 28 houses in Dalwas village along the highway in J&K’s Ramban district , leaving many homeless.

Traffic on the national highway has been suspended since Friday afternoon after heavy rains triggered landslides and shooting stones from hillocks at nearly a dozen places between Chanderkote and Banihal. The highway was also blocked by debris of the landslide, leaving hundreds of trucks carrying essential commodities stranded for the third day.

The 28 houses in Ramban were damaged so badly that they are dangerous to live in and the district authorities have evacuated residents to safer locations, and people had to be evacuated from 12 partly-damaged houses as they too are dangerous.

Soon after receiving reports of a massive landslide along with the sinking of the highway stretch, a team of officers along with rescue teams from police and CRPF's 84 Battalion at Chanderkote rushed to the village and started rescue operations on Saturday. “The timely rescue operation resulted in no loss of precious life but only to the property. The affected families, approximately 40 in number, have been accommodated in nearby schools and other locations,” an official said.

Ramban additional deputy commissioner Ashok Kumar Sharma , who is supervising relief and rescue operation, told TOI on phone that incessant rains over past two days had caused the landslide and sinking of land in Dalwas village near Chanderkote of Ramban district.

The district administration is making all necessary arrangements for the affected families and shifted them to government schools and panchayat ghars for shelter. They have also been sanctioned ration for three months. “The team is on the job to assess losses suffered by the families,” he added.

