Quake brings Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus service to temporary halt
Pakistan Times Staff Report

SRINAGAR (IHK): Saturday's earthquake measuring between 7.4 and 7.9 on the Richter Scale has brought the historic bus service running between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad to a temporary halt.

According to sources quoted as saying that the key bridge at Hanjiwara, located 23 km north of Baramullah and several other bridges dotting the highway between Srinagar and Uri have suffered extensive damage due to landslides caused by the quake.

The town of Uri, which is located close to the epicentre of Saturday's earthquake -- Shipal Masjid in the western half of Muzaffarabad-has lost nearly 80 percent of its dwellings.

On the Pakistan side, the bridge at Chakothi and the Lal Pul (Red Bridge) have also been damaged pretty badly, informed sources said, while confirming that the bus service between Muzaffarabad and Srinagar would not be operating for some time till the situation was brought under control and the repair work completed.

The Jammu-Srinagar highway has also been shut down as rocks have fallen on the road.

The bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad was launched on April 7 this year, nearly two months after the Foreign Ministers of India and Pakistan firmed up the logistical modalities for the historic service. Over 20 people people undertook the journey, the first in 58 years. Since then, the service has been operating at intervals of two months after verification from consular authorities in both countries.

Saturday's quake has all but demolished the towns of Baramulla and Uri in Kashmir. Over 100 deaths have been reported in Uri alone. Many others have been injured, and there has been extensive damage to property.●