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PESHAWAR, Jan 27: Widespread rain and snowfall continued to lash different parts of the province and adjoining tribal areas on Wednesday night and Thursday, playing havoc with means of communication.
Reports reaching from various towns said that the downpour and chilly weather had badly affected the routine life, forcing people to keep indoors throughout the day.
Landi Kotal in the Khyber Agency received the first snowfall of the season and Tirah Valley was cut off from the rest of the agency. The snowfall in the plains of Landi Kotal started early on Thursday. It continued throughout the day, bringing the mercury down to the freezing point.
Elders in the area said it was the heaviest snowfall over the last 15 years. Surrounding hills were covered with snow and the plains had received up to one-and-a-half feet fall.
Life in the Landi Kotal tehsil was paralysed as the main bazaar and most of the education institutions remained closed on Thursday. Transporters took their vehicles off the road after half a dozen vehicles skidded off the main Peshawar-Torkham highway.
Prolong load-shedding of electricity added to the woes of the residents of the affected areas. Sources said that the remote Tirah valley had received nearly one-and-a-half meter of snowfall over the past one week. The Zakhakhel road leading to the valley was blocked due to the snowfall.
ABBOTTABAD: Abbottabad received four to six inches snow, while two to three feet fall was reported in Thandiayni, Nathiagali, Ayubia and Changla Gali. More snowfall has been forecast.
People of these towns faced hardship due to low pressure of gas supply and frequent power breakdowns. Almost all the main and link roads in Galyat, especially from Abbottabad to Murree, were closed at different points.
HANGU: The Hangu city and the adjoining Orakzai Agency received a heavy snowfall accompanied by rain on Wednesday night and Thursday. A number of houses in different areas collapsed and all hilltops in the Orakzai Agency were covered with snow. Parachinar received about one foot of snowfall. Similar reports were received from Karak, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Kohat, Tank and Lakki Marwat.
MANSEHRA: A second spell of rain, which had started on Wednesday, continued without a break in Mansehra on Thursday and was followed by heavy snowfall.
The snowfall started at about 2pm on Thursday. By the time of filing this report, four inches of snow had fallen. The chilly weather resulting from the snowfall has brought life to a standstill in the area.
The undeclared load-shedding by the PESCO and low pressure of gas have added to the miseries of the residents. The pressure of gas was very low since early morning but its supply to most parts was suspended by noon. People with no alternative arrangement of fuel were the hardest hit.
The power supply to the town remained suspended for six hours - from 8am to 1pm. An official in the PECO's city office said that necessary repair work was being carried out on certain power lines.
MINGORA: Continuous rains in Swat valley and snowfall on the surrounding hills have paralysed life in the Malakand region as communication links in the area have been disrupted.
The inhabitants of remote areas like Kalam, Behrain, Madyan, Malam Jabba, Puran, Chakesar, Besham and Alpuri have been facing hardship since Jan 20, when the areas received heavy snowfall.
In urban areas, like Mingora, the chilly weather has badly affected routine activities of people. A majority of shops in the Mingora bazaar remained closed. Tourists also remained stranded in the city as they could not proceed to the hilly areas to watch the snowfall.
