MANSEHRA/ALPURI/CHITRAL: Hundreds of passengers travelling between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan were stranded after the Karakoram Highway (KKH) was blocked at various points in Lower Kohistan on Monday.
“Yes, passengers are stranded in their vehicles after floods caused by heavy rains brought mud and boulders from nearby mountains onto the KKH at three places in the Dubair area of Lower Kohistan,” an official of Rescue 1122 told reporters.
The upper parts of Hazara Division, including Mansehra, Torghar, Upper Kohistan, Lower Kohistan, and Kolai-Palas, received heavy rainfall.Strong winds and hailstorms also hit parts of the division, uprooting trees and blocking main and link roads in the region.
The KKH was blocked at Glozband and two other places within the jurisdiction of Dubair police station, suspending intra-district traffic as well as movement between Gilgit-Baltistan and KP.Motorists, truck drivers, and passengers remained stranded at these points.
According to rescuers, women and children were also among the stranded passengers at different locations in Lower Kohistan.“Although we started rescue operations immediately after the landslides at various points on the KKH, we have been facing difficulties in carrying out the operation,” one of the rescuers said.
The KKH, which had been blocked due to landslides at two points in Lower Kohistan on Sunday night, was cleared the following morning but was again hit by floodwaters carrying boulders and mud.
The upper parts of Kaghan, Siren, and Konsh valleys also received heavy rainfall, triggering landslides that blocked roads connecting hundreds of villages with the Karakoram Highway and the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road.
In Shangla, flash floods triggered by heavy rains and lightning strikes caused widespread destruction in the remote Lodhar and adjoining areas of Kana tehsil. Roads, houses, local hydropower stations, and water mills were damaged, while several villages were cut off from the rest of the region.
According to residents, lightning strikes were reported at multiple locations in Lodhar and nearby areas, followed by torrential rains that turned into flash floods. The sudden flooding washed away parts of the Lodhar road at several points and damaged several link roads, suspending transportation and severing ground access between villages.
Residents said at least 12 houses were completely or partially damaged in the flooding. Some homes were swept away by floodwaters, while cracks also developed in several others.Affected families complained that they were forced to spend the night under the open sky.
The floods also severely affected local micro-hydel power stations established at different points from Lodhar to Karora. Several small hydropower units were completely destroyed, along with adjoining traditional water mills, plunging the valley into darkness and disrupting communication links in some areas.
Local people said the micro-hydel stations were the primary source of electricity for the area, and their destruction would create serious hardships for residents.Residents urged the district administration and provincial government to launch immediate relief and rehabilitation operations, including restoration of roads, assistance for affected families, and repair of damaged hydropower facilities.
They warned that delays in rehabilitation work could further worsen the difficulties faced by people in the affected areas.In Chitral, strong winds and a dust storm wreaked havoc in various areas of Upper Chitral district on Sunday, damaging houses, trees, and electricity infrastructure.
It was reported that strong winds swept through different parts of Upper Chitral, followed by a dust storm that disrupted daily life. Several trees were uprooted, while metal roof sheets of a number of houses were blown away.
In Mozgol village in the Morkhow valley, the roofs of houses belonging to Akhtar Ali, Sikandar, and Ibrahim Khan were damaged after strong winds blew away metal sheets. Trees in the area also suffered severe damage.
The storm also disrupted electricity supply in some areas, causing difficulties for residents. However, no loss of life was reported.Residents urged the district administration and relevant departments to provide immediate assistance to the affected families and take emergency measures to restore electricity supply.
