Collateral damage: Roads blocked in Shangla

SHANGLA: Relief work could not commence in the vulnerable areas of Shangla which was hit by a massive landslide triggered by monsoon rains on Saturday.

Traffic was disrupted for several hours and the roads remained closed, while many houses were damaged after the landslide hit Karora, Besham and Chakesar areas.

According to locals, the district administration and other authorities had not started relief work to remove the debris.

Locals have warned the National Highway Authority and elected members of Shangla of possible landslides, but the officials allegedly turned a blind eye to the matter.

The affected population complained they had shifted to different areas, but had suffered losses worth millions and now have no shelter.

The monsoon rains started on Saturday in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and other parts of the country. Earlier, the Pakistan Meteorological Department issued a warning of possible landslides in Swat and Shangla.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 4^th, 2016.