Srinagar: The 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh national highway, the only road connecting Ladakh region with Kashmir, remained closed for the 5th day on Monday.

Meanwhile, Gumri-Sonamarg road has also been closed temporarily due to snowfall and slippery road conditions, a traffic police official said.

He said due to accumulation of several feet of snow, which has also frozen at several places due to below freezing temperature, the road has become slippery, he said adding the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has already pressed into service sophisticated machines and men on the job to put through the highway.

However, traffic will be resumed only after weather and road condition improves, he said.

Meanwhile, large number of Ladakh bound vehicles, particularly trucks carrying essential commodities and oil tankers, are stranded at Sonamarg in central Kashmir district of Ganderbal since Thursday.

Similarly, Kashmir bound empty trucks and oil tankers are stranded at several places, including Drass, Kargil and Meenmarg on other side of the Zojila.

No traffic will be allowed on the highway until a green signal is received from traffic police officials posted at different places and BRO since there is now threat of avalanches, he said.

We are allowing Kashmir bound traffic in the morning and vehicles from here to other side of the Zojila pass are allowed in the afternoon to avoid traffic jam, particularly in Zojila area.

However, authorities claimed that enough stock of essential commodities, medicines, petrol, diesel and LPG cylinders have been stocked in Ladakh region for winter months.