MANSEHRA: Tourism activities in Kaghan Valley have resumed after about a month as the army has built a key bridge on a stream, which was washed away by flash floods in the Mahandri area on July 31.

“Our tourism industry suffered immensely following the central bridge at Manor stream was washed away on July 31, but now the situation has returned to normal and roads leading to Gilgit-Baltistan and Saiful Muluk Lake have been restored to traffic,” Hussan Deen, owner of a chain of restaurants, told Dawn.

The flash floods in the stream brought big boulders blocking the Kunhar River and creating an artificial lake in the area.

The tourists have started thronging the valley, visiting the Saiful Muluk, Lolusar and Dudipatsar lakes as the army has installed a steel bridge over the stream.

“We have started winter tourism for the first time to provide better hospitality services to visitors even in cold weather, so they could enjoy traditional and national cuisines,” Mr Deen said.

He said president of the hoteliers’ association Seth Matiullah had announced that the visitors could enjoy 50 per cent discount during their stay at hotels and 20 per cent on food and jeep fares during the ongoing winter tourism.

DIES: A young man, who was bitten by a snake, died in an Oghi village here on Sunday.

Amanullah was spraying pesticides in his fields when he was bitten by a snake. The family rushed him to King Abdullah Teaching Hospital, whose doctors referred him to Ayub Medical Complex Hospital, Abbottabad, where he succumbed.

Residents complained that anti-rabies vaccine was not available in the Oghi Civil Hospital. They said cases of snake and dogbites were on the rise in the tehsil, and because of shortage of vaccines people were referred to hospitals in other districts.

Meanwhile, rivals shot dead a man and injured his son seriously in Galli Badral area of Oghi. Police said Javed Faqir along with his six-year-old son was going to home when armed men opened indiscriminate fire at them, leaving both of them seriously injured.

The injured were shifted to Civil Hospital Oghi, whose doctors referred them to Ayub Medical Complex Hospital, Abbottabad, where Faqir succumbed to injuries.

The body was handed over to the family after doctors completed medico-legal formalities.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2024