Efforts continued on Monday to clear the debris of a massive landslide that blocked the strategic Jammu-Srinagar national highway in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said, even as the weather office predicted a fresh spell of snow and rains later this week.

A massive landslide struck the highway at Digdole on Sunday afternoon, covering around 150 metres of the arterial road, leaving thousands of commuters stranded."Despite hectic efforts by the road clearing agencies, the highway is unlikely to open for traffic today (Monday),"Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Traffic, National Highway Ramban, SureshSharma told

He said men and machines are on the job and efforts are going on to restore the highway as soon as possible."It was a massivelandslide and the area where it struck is narrow, allowing only a couple of machines to operate," he said, adding that once the clearance operationgets completed, the road position and the condition of the retaining wall will be reviewed before allowing the traffic.

He said over 2,500 light motor vehicles and trucks are stranded on both sides of the highway and clearance would be given to thesevehicles first once the road is made traffic-worthy.

The 270-km highway, the only all-weather road linkingKashmir with rest of the country, was closed for traffic on Thursday after mostparts of Kashmir and high altitude areas of the Jammu region, including theJawahar Tunnel -- the gateway to the valley -- experienced the first majorsnowfall of the season.However, the highway was opened for traffic on Saturdaybut multiple landslides triggered by heavy rains in Ramban sector frequentlydisrupted the movement of vehicles.Meanwhile, the Mughal Road, which connectsthe border districts of Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu region with south Kashmir'sShopian district, remained closed for the sixth day on Monday, they said.

The road was closed for traffic on Wednesday after heavysnowfall in Pir Ki Gali area, the officials said, adding that the snowclearance operation is going on when last reports were received.

Meanwhile, the weather office has predicted another spell oflight to moderate snowfall at most places in Jammu and Kashmir, and Kargil inthe Union Territory of Ladakh between November 14 and 16.