Landslides leave thousands stranded
Excavators carve through mountains of debris on the battered Karakoram Highway, where relentless rains, flash floods and landslides stranded thousands of travellers across Lower Kohistan over the past 72 hours. PHOTOS: EXPRESS
Efforts to reopen the Karakoram Highway in Lower Kohistan entered their second consecutive day on Wednesday, with the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) and the local administration engaged in round-the-clock operations.
Persistent torrential rain over the past three days, from Besham to Pattan, has triggered landslides at dozens of locations. Floodwaters and massive debris flows have caused extensive destruction along the highway, leaving thousands of vehicles stranded and causing severe hardship for women, children, and the sick.
Residents of nearby settlements in the affected areas extended humanitarian assistance to stranded travellers by providing shelter, food, and drinking water.
The last 72 hours of relentless rainfall have wreaked havoc across Lower Kohistan. From Sholgarah to Pattan, multiple sections of the Karakoram Highway remain completely blocked due to heavy landslides, floodwater, and accumulated debris. Hundreds of vehicles have been trapped along the route, while several were buried under falling debris. Remarkably, the occupants of those vehicles escaped unharmed.
Thousands of stranded passengers, including women, children, and the ill, were accommodated by local residents in nearby hujras and other shelters, where they were provided with meals, refreshments, and temporary lodging. Free food and drinking water were also distributed to travellers at several points along the highway.
Meanwhile, personnel of the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) have deployed heavy machinery to restore the road network. District administration officials and police contingents are also present at the affected sites, supervising relief and clearance activities.
Authorities have expressed hope that the highway may be reopened to traffic by this evening.
Separately, Deputy Commissioner Lower Kohistan Tariq Mahmood, accompanied by the District Police Officer, visited Jijal, where flash floods and landslides had completely blocked the Karakoram Highway the previous day.
Owing to the DC's intervention, machinery from FWO's 142 RMB unit has been mobilised for road clearance operations, which are currently underway.
The DC and the DPO reviewed the ongoing clearance work on-site and issued necessary instructions to the relevant officials to expedite the restoration of traffic flow.