Srinagar, Dec 28 (IANS): A woman tourist was killed on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway while police rescued six people stranded in the snow on the Mughal Road.

Officials said that a large stone rolled down the hillside on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway in Mehar area of Ramban district and hit a minibus resulting in critical injuries to a woman tourist.

“She was taken to Ramban district hospital where doctors said she was dead on arrival. The tourist has been identified as Ruby Agarwal belonging to Uttar Pradesh.

“Police rescued six people stranded in the snow on the Mughal Road in Poonch district.

“On Friday night two vehicles were going from Shopian to Surankote when both the vehicles got stuck in the snow at Chattapani on the Mughal Road.

“A police team rushed to the spot and managed to evacuate the stranded persons to safety”, officials said.

Meanwhile, the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, Mughal Road and Srinagar-Leh Highway have been closed for traffic.

Roads leading to Gurez in Bandipora, Tangdhar in Kupwara district and the Sinthan Road leading to Kishtwar from Anantnag district of the Valley have also been closed for traffic due to heavy snowfall.

Traffic department officials have issued advisories for commuters not to undertake travel on these roads till they hear from the authorities about the status of these roads.

Defying forecasts by the MET department, heavy snowfall has thrown life out of gear in the Valley as authorities are trying to restore electric supply and traffic on the main arteries in Srinagar city and elsewhere in the Valley.

The MET department has now forecast rain and snow in J&K during the next 24 hours.

The tourist resorts of Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg received fresh snowfall while Srinagar city and the plain areas of Anantnag, Kulgam, Budgam, Ganderbal, Bandipora, Pulwama, Shopian, Baramulla and Kupwara received the season’s first snowfall on Friday.