PESHAWAR: Two persons including a woman were killed in a roof collapse incident in Peshawar on Tuesday while hundreds of passengers remained stranded on Karakoram Highway for an entire day owing to closure of road following heavy snowfall and rain in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Rescue 1122 officials said that the roof collapse incident took place in Dauranpur area of Peshawar, burying five members of a family. Rescuers retrieved two dead bodies and three injured from the debris. The injured were rushed to hospital.

On the other hand, hundreds of passengers travelling between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan and in Kohistan region remained stranded for the entire day as Karakoram Highway, which was blocked in Jigal area, could not be cleared to traffic.

“I am on my way to my duty in Upper Kohistan but stranded in traffic along with a large number of passengers travelling between KP and GB,” Mohammad Ali told journalists.

Hundreds of passengers remain stranded on Karakoram Highway

The landslides triggered by the recent rain in parts of Lower Kohistan blocked Karakoram Highway, suspending traffic between KP and GB.

“Though debris of landslides have been removed, passengers and motorists are stranded in queues of vehicles on both sides of KKH in Jigal area of Lower Kohistan,” said Mr Ali.

Landslides and flooding torrents had blocked KKH in various places some two days ago. Traffic between both the federating units couldn’t be restored even after two days of its suspension.

Meanwhile, the artery linking Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad road with the tourist resort of Shogran was cleared to traffic partially by Kaghan Development Authority. KDA officials rescued tourists stranded in Shogran following blockade of the artery.

Kaghan, Konsh and Siren valleys in Mansehra and Spat and Kandia valleys in Kohistan received the heaviest snowfall of the season during the last three days, dropping mercury below zero Celsius.

In Lower Dir administration on Tuesday continued to clear Shahi and Kalpani Maidan roads of snow with the help of heavy machinery.

Similarly, life in upper parts of Shangla also remained paralysed for the third consecutive day on Tuesday. Besides, Karakoram Highway and Bisham-Swat road remained blocked due to landslides and heavy snowfall. Supply of electricity also remained suspended as several pylons were damaged in the district.

According to officials, Bisham-Swat road was blocked between Alpuri and Shangla Top.

Ali Akbar, a resident of Lilownai, said supply of electricity to their area had been suspended since Sunday morning and link roads leading to his hometown and adjacent areas were blocked at several points due to landslides and snowfall.

Yasir Arafat, a resident of Puran, said Puran, Martung and Makhozi tehsils had been disconnected from the rest of the district for the last three days. He added that power supply was suspended.

Muhammad Junaid, sub-divisional officer of Pesco, told Dawn that four or five pylons were damaged and uprooted due to which electricity was suspended.

Similarly, Bajaur district also received heavy snowfall after a gap of three years. Locals told Dawn on Tuesday that it was the heaviest snowfall in the district during the past three years.

They said that snowfall would improve underground water level in the region. They said that snowfall was a source of enjoyment for people as they were visiting snow-covered mountains in a large number.

They said that a great rush of visitors was witnessed at Ghakhi Pass, Nawa Pass, Kaga Pass and Matak area after the snowfall on Tuesday.

Hanifullah Jan, a resident of Naway Kallay, said that people of the district had been waiting for the snowfall for the last three years. He said that he also visited Ghakhi Pass along with a group of friends.

However, he complained about the poor condition of the road linking the spot with the main Inayat Kallay-Laghari artery. He said that road remained blocked for several owing to rush of vehicles.

Published in Dawn, February 21st, 2024