MANSEHRA: Residents of Dubair and Ranowali on Tuesday blocked the Karakoram Highway after two brothers fell into a local stream while crossing a wooden bridge, and one of them drowned after spillways of the Dubair Khwar Hydropower Project were allegedly opened to release water in Lower Kohistan.
“Our police and Rescue 1122 personnel recovered the body from the swollen stream and shifted it to a nearby health facility,” District Police Officer Lower Kohistan Zafar Ahmad told reporters.
According to police, 22-year-old Mohammad Yusuf and his brother were crossing a temporary wooden bridge over the stream when the management of the Dubair Khwar Hydropower Project opened the spillways to release water. Yusuf reportedly lost his footing and fell into the stream.
“His brother jumped into the water in an attempt to rescue him. Local residents managed to save the brother, but Yusuf drowned. His body was later recovered from near the dam,” Rescue 1122 official Mohammad Raj said.
He said divers reached the scene on the directions of District Emergency Officer Mohammad Haroon, recovered the body and handed it over to the deceased’s family.
Following the incident, the deceased’s relatives and local residents placed the body on the Karakoram Highway at China Bridge and blocked the road for all kinds of traffic.
The protesters demanded the registration of a case against the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda), alleging that the recently constructed temporary crossing built by the district administration had been washed away after water was released through the spillways.
They said they would continue the blockade until their demands were met and a case was registered against Wapda.
“Wapda has yet to reconstruct the Dubair-Ranowali road, which was washed away in the 2023 flash floods, and this incident has further fuelled public anger,” one of the protesters said.
