SRINAGAR, Feb 19: The heaviest snowfall in nearly two decades brought life to a halt in Srinagar and other towns on Saturday, snapping transport links and telephone and power lines.

Srinagar had been without power for two days. Officials said it would take at least three days to restore even minimum power in the city, often plagued by electricity blackouts.

"It's the heaviest precipitation we've had since 1988 and there won't be any change for the next two days," G.K. Mohanti, head of the state meteorological department in Kashmir, told AFP.

A police officer said more than 1,000 vehicles were stranded along a snowbound highway between Srinagar and Jammu and motorists were being housed in emergency accommodation along the route.

Avalanches on the main highway and elsewhere over the past two weeks have killed 28 people, including 19 soldiers. The streets of Srinagar were empty of traffic amid driving snow that blanketed roads. Lacking customers, many shops closed their doors.

Snow has been falling continuously in the region since late Thursday. "A little snow is good but this heavy snow is bringing a lot of problems. We're freezing here," said an old woman. -AFP