The army on Tuesday said the Border Roads Organisation had rescued 40 jawans and 20 civilians who were stranded in heavy snowfall-triggered inclement weather at an altitude of 10,500 feet in Jammu’s Chenab valley.

Kashmir and parts of Jammu on Tuesday received the second spell of snow in five days, leading once again to the closure of the Srinagar-Jammu national highway and the disruption of flight operations.

The plains of Kashmir, including Srinagar, recorded light to moderate snow, while the higher reaches received moderate to heavy snow. It is one of the heaviest snow spells in Kashmir in years.

The defence spokesperson in Jammu, Lt Col Suneel Bartwal, said in a statement that the BRO conducted a high-altitude rescue and road restoration operation at the Chatergala Pass in the Chenab valley that lasted 40 hours.

The pass is located at an altitude of 10,500 feet in the Bhaderwah-Chatergala axis of Jammu.

“The 118 Road Construction Company (RCC) of the 35 Border Roads Task Force (BRTF) commenced the snow-clearance operation in the morning of January 24 and it continued for nearly 40 hours, clearing approximately 38km of road covered under 5 to 6 feet of snow,” Bartwal said.

“The route was opened by January 25 evening, enabling the safe evacuation of 20 stranded civilians and 40 troops of the 4 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) along with weapons
and stores.”

The army said the rescue mission was completed by 2.30am on January 26 with zero casualties, underscoring the “professionalism and dedication of BRO personnel operating in challenging high-altitude terrain and extreme weather conditions”.

“The operation was executed in close coordination with the Indian Army, ensuring swift relief and the restoration of critical communication links in the region,” Bartwal said.

In Kashmir, the fresh snowfall turned large swathes into a winter wonderland for tourists but left many residents battling road closures and damage inflicted by snow and storms. Scores of houses have suffered damage because of the snow.