One person was killed while another was injured in a landslide near Astore in Gilgit-Baltistan on Wednesday night, according to rescue officials.
Rescue 1122 official Wazir Asad told Dawn.com that landslides caused by intense rainfall blocked the road from Astore to Dashkan for 24 hours. “A car was hit by a landslide, killing one person and injuring another,” he confirmed.
Meanwhile, the land connection between Astore district and Gilgit was also severed by landslides. A local resident named Rafiullah told Dawn.com that the road was closed due to an avalanche in Astore.
According to the Gilgit-Baltistan government, a landslide in the Upper Kohistan Achar Nallah area has cut off the land connection between Gilgit-Baltistan and Rawalpindi.
Muhammad Haroon, assistant director of the Gilgit-Baltistan Disaster Management Authority, issued a statement advising travellers to stay in hotels and avoid travelling due to the risk of landslides.
Baltistan Police Spokesperson Ghulam Muhammad said in a statement that the Baltistan Highway was blocked at two places due to landslides caused by rain, which cut the land connection between Gilgit and four districts of Baltistan. “Many travellers and tourists stranded have been left stranded,” the statement read.
The Meteorological Department has predicted more snowfall and rain for the next two days.