Passengers suffer due to closure of KKH after heavy rains

GILGIT: Karakoram Highway (KKH), the only artery connecting Gilgit-Baltistan to the rest of the country, faced severe disruptions on Saturday as landslides triggered by continuous heavy rains blocked the highway at ten different locations, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded.

The Diamer police reported that the Kohistan section of the KKH was particularly hard hit, with blockages at seven locations, including Lotar, Gaigha, Sazain, Bhasha, Pattan, Kheru, and Kayal areas in upper and lower Kohistan. The police have issued advisories to transporters, urging them to avoid the KKH until further notice. Similarly, the Gilgit section of the highway was blocked at three places – Tata Pani, Mola Dad Parri and Mola Dad Parri.

A significant number of vehicles, including buses carrying hundreds of passengers, among them women and children, were caught in the standstill. The situation was further compounded by the plight of the family of Israr, who was among the five fatalities in Friday’s accident in Pattan, Kohistan. His body remained stranded, highlighting the dire circumstances faced by those affected by the blockages.

Five persons were killed when a passenger car plunged into a ravine in the Torkamar area of Lower Kohistan on Friday. The car, carrying passengers from Gilgit, was on its way to Islamabad when the driver lost control over steering while negotiating a sharp turn on Karakoram Highway, which caused it to plunge into a ravine. Four passengers were killed, and one succumbed to injuries on the way to a health facility in Abbottabad.

GB Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan has taken action following an appeal circulated on social media regarding the difficulties faced in transporting the body of Israr. According to a statement released by GB CM spokesperson Faizullah Faraq, the CM directed the Secretary of Interior and the Commissioner of Diamer to take all necessary steps to ensure the swift transportation of Israr’s body to Gilgit.

Karachi Weather: clear skies with chilly winds predicted

The chief minister regretted that a large number of travellers were stranded due to the closure of the KKH and directed the administration and other relevant departments to expedite efforts to clear the highway for traffic.

The chief minister emphasized the mobilization of all resources to reopen the roads and instructed the provision of facilities and rescue operations for the stranded passengers.

Meanwhile, in the four districts of the Baltistan division, snowfall has been going on intermittently for three days, due to which the upper areas of the four districts have been cut off from other areas, while the Baltistan Highway has been affected due to landslides at several places.

The KKH segment from Gilgit to Hunza remains open, although various parts of Hunza and Nagar districts have experienced heavy snowfall. In a fortunate incident, commuters remained unharmed when a landslide struck a vehicle in the Chikus area of Hunza.
According to Deputy Commissioner Ghizer, various regions in the Ghizer district are experiencing rain, while Phander, Darkut, Thoi, Ishkoman, and the upper areas are witnessing heavy snowfall.

All roads in Ghizer are open for traffic except for the Shandur Top, which is closed due to heavy snowfall.

The DC said that field staff from all departments had been mobilized across the district, and instructions had been issued to report any damages or accidents immediately. “The public is advised to avoid unnecessary travel due to the risk of landslides on the Gilgit-Shandur Road, especially since construction work has loosened rocks in the area until the situation returns to normal,” he said.