Flooding causes destruction, evacuations
Flash flood inundates Mahabdri Bazaar and Munawar Nullah, damaging stores and goods in Balakot. Travelers wait on Kaghan Highway after its closure by a landslide. PHOTOS: ZULFIQAR ALI/EXPRESS
The connection between Balakot and the Kaghan Valley remains severed for the fourth consecutive day. In the Mahandri area, the Kunhar River has formed a lake, causing eight more shops to be swept away. The administration has successfully evacuated trapped tourists in Naran, sending them home via convoy through Babusar Top.
According to Tariq Khan, Secretary of Information of the Mahandri Traders Association, 16 shops in Mahandri Bazaar have been destroyed by the Munawar Nullah and Kunhar River, while water has inundated 40 other shops, causing severe financial losses to the trading community. The traders' association warns that without timely relief efforts, Mahandri Bazaar could face irreparable damage.
On Friday, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Secretary, Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, visited the flood-affected Mahandri area. Accompanied by Hazara Commissioner Syed Zahirul Islam, Manshera Deputy Commissioner Adnan Khan Bettini, District Police Officer Shafiullah Khan Gandapur and heads of all relevant departments, Chaudhry conducted a thorough assessment of the damaged Mahandri Bridge Bazaar.
In a media briefing, Chief Secretary Chaudhry stated that the administration is closely monitoring the situation and has ordered heavy machinery and bridge materials to be transported via Babusar Top. He assured that efforts are underway to complete the bridge installation within six to seven days. Addressing concerns about food shortages, he mentioned that stock for eight to 10 days is typically maintained in such areas and oil tankers are being dispatched via Babusar Top to replenish fuel supplies, expected to reach Naran by Saturday (tomorrow).
Chaudhry also confirmed that tourists have been safely evacuated, and the hotel association is providing accommodations for those who wish to stay.
He presented emergency aid checks of Rs1 million each to the family of a mother and child swept away by the Munawar Nullah, offering condolences and prayers.
The chief secretary instructed all department heads to work around the clock to alleviate people's sufferings and warned that any negligence would not be tolerated.