GILGIT: Landslides brought on by a lot of snow and rain have closed the Karakoram Highway (KKH) as well as Baltistan Road once more.
The closures, which were announced on Wednesday, exacerbated the difficulties experienced by locals and visitors as a result of bad weather. They came after brief intervals of light traffic restoration earlier in the week.
The weather in the area was becoming better, but there have been major interruptions due to the damage caused by the extreme weather events that occurred on Monday and Tuesday, an official from the Gilgit-Baltistan Disaster Management Authority told Dawn.
Officials told Dawn that there were multiple obstructions on the KKH close to the Diamer Basha Dam building site and the Thore neighborhood of Chilas. Thousands of travelers were consequently left stuck on both sides of the roadway once more.
One way to lessen the effects is to reroute light traffic via the former KKH route. Meanwhile, heavy machinery is being used in active clearance operations.
Passengers are left stranded by closures, as locals endure power outages
likewise, the Baltistan Road was closed for the fourth day in a row, and even when it was partially opened, it was only temporarily open because of fresh landslides close to Skardu’s Roundu district, which cut off land connectivity for the locals once more.
Despite these difficulties, GBDMA Director General Safdar Khan gave the assurance that attempts to restore traffic were underway throughout the impacted areas and that there had not yet been any serious reports of casualties or damage.
The British government has issued a weather notice that is valid until February 27 and advises people not to travel unless absolutely necessary. Meanwhile, there will be disruptions to air travel for the third day between Gilgit, Skardu, and Islamabad.
The top regions of the region are experiencing cold waves, power outages, and communication difficulties.
SOURCE: DAWN NEWS
