March 20, 2007	Tuesday	Safar 30, 1428

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MANSEHRA, March 19: Heavy rain and snowfall have badly affected life in the earthquake-affected areas of the NWFP and the Northern Areas and hundreds of people are stranded because of blockade of the Karakoram Highway and the Kaghan Road in Balakot for the past two days.

Mansehra, Battagram and Kohistan were in the grip of severe cold and intermittent rain continued to lash the region on Monday. Several survivors were suffering from chest and respiratory infections.

A doctor in the Kaghan Civil Hospital said more than 100 patients had been taken to the out-patient department and most of them were suffering from respiratory infection caused by the severe chill.

He said the area had been receiving heavy rain and snowfall for three days and it was cut off from the rest of the country because the roads had been blocked by landslides at several places.

The manager of the Natco bus service in Mansehra said the KKH was blocked at Dassu in Kohistan district and many were stranded on both sides.

CHITRAL: The Chitral district has been receiving intermittent rain for the four days, bringing the routine life to a halt and increasing local people’s problems.

Traffic to upper parts of the district from Chitral town was suspended as roads were blocked due to avalanches and landslides.