Massive traffic jam on Srinagar-Leh highway near Zojila pass

Jammu, June 19 

A massive traffic jam near the 11,575-feet-high Zojila pass along the 434-km Srinagar-Leh national highway on Wednesday left thousands of commuters, including tourists, stranded for hours, officials said.

The traffic on the highway came to a halt when the Border Roads Organisation, which maintains the highway, pressed its men and machines to carry out some urgent repairs on the arterial road, the officials said. 

"We had reached Zojila pass around forenoon and have been caught in a massive traffic jam for the last four hours," a tourist heading for Leh told PTI.

He said the authorities concerned should have intimated the travellers before suddenly stopping the traffic and causing unnecessary inconvenience to them. 

"There is no information and we do not know how long we have to face this nightmare," he said. 

A traffic department official said the traffic on the highway was restored and cops are on the job to ensure smooth movement of vehicles. — PTI