GILGIT, Feb 27: The Karakoram Highway (KKH), blocked on Saturday evening following heavy landslides at various places and cleared for one-way traffic on Sunday morning, has been blocked again by a massive rockslide.
The Frontier Works Organization said that huge boulders had hit the highway and damaged a 135-metere portion in Kohistan district, suspending traffic between Gilgit and Rawalpindi.
The FWO has moved heavy machinery to various points along the KKH to clear the blockade. FWO sources said that blasting technique might be used to remove boulders from the road.
Shopkeepers said the closure of the highway for two days had created a shortage of food and other essential items in the Northern Areas. Trucks loaded with merchandise are stuck at various places while passengers are crossing the blockade on foot.
It may be mentioned that PIA flights between Islamabad and Gilgit have remained suspended for seven days due to inclement weather.
