Debris blocks several sections of highway; locals provide shelter and food to travelers
Excavators dig through mountains of debris on the Karakoram Highway, where incessant rain, flash floods and landslides have stranded thousands of travelers in Lower Kohistan over the past 72 hours. PHOTOS: EXPRESS
ABBOTTABAD:
Efforts to reopen the Karakoram Highway in Lower Kohistan entered their second consecutive day on Wednesday, with the Frontier Works Organization (FWO) and local administration engaged in round-the-clock operations.
Persistent torrential rains over the past three days from Besham to Pattan have triggered landslides in dozens of places. Floodwaters and massive debris flows caused significant destruction along the highway, leaving thousands of vehicles stranded and causing serious hardship for women, children and the sick.
Residents of nearby settlements in the affected areas provided humanitarian assistance to the stranded travelers by providing them with shelter, food and drinking water.
The last 72 hours of incessant rains have wreaked havoc in Lower Kohistan. From Sholgarah to Pattan, several stretches of the Karakoram Highway remain completely blocked due to violent landslides, floodwaters and accumulation of debris. Hundreds of vehicles were stuck along the road, while several were buried under falling debris. Remarkably, the occupants of these vehicles escaped unhurt.
Thousands of stranded passengers, including women, children and the sick, were accommodated by local residents in hujras and other nearby shelters, where they were provided with meals, refreshments and temporary accommodation. Free food and drinking water were also distributed to travelers at several locations along the highway.
Meanwhile, personnel of the Frontier Works Organization (FWO) 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.
Officials expressed hope that the highway could be reopened to traffic by this evening.
Meanwhile, Lower Kohistan Deputy Commissioner Tariq Mahmood, accompanied by the District Police Officer, visited Jijal, where flash floods and landslides had completely blocked the Karakoram Highway the previous day.
Thanks to the intervention of the DC, the machines of the 142 RMB unit of the FWO were mobilized for the road clearing operations, currently in progress.
The DC and DPO reviewed the ongoing mine clearance work at the site and issued necessary instructions to the officials concerned to expedite the restoration of traffic flow.
