July 09, 2007	Monday	Jamadi-us-Sani 23, 1428

MANSEHRA, July 8: At least 23 people were killed when landslides, triggered by heavy rains, struck Dachi Banda and Shishal Kial areas in the Kohistan district on Sunday morning, Kohistan police officers told Dawn. The rains and landslides also left hundreds of people homeless.

The landslides blocked the Karakoram Highway at about 40 places and it may take at least three days to clear the highway and restore the vehicular traffic. Brigadier Mohammad Naeem, in-charge of the Frontier Works Organization in Northern Areas and the Hazara region, said that the KKH had been badly damaged.

“It will take at least three to four days to clear the highway and open it for normal traffic, especially in Puttan area of Kohistan where a massive landslide had blocked a large portion of the highway.

“Units and machinery have been moved to the area to remove the debris and big rocks,” Brig Naeem said.

Kohistan police officers said that many houses had been swept away by flash flood in the Dober Tatis Kial Nala and the people had to be moved to safer places. Police officer of Basham area said that landslides had left hundreds of passengers stranded on both sides of the highway. In Shishal Kial area, 14 people were killed and many more injured. Thirteen bodies had been taken out of debris while efforts were under way to pull another body out.

Those killed have been identified as Saboor Khan, Abdul Rehman, Ahmad Bibi, Gulnaz Bibi, Lato Khan, Sahibo Bibi, Maira Bibi, Shazada Muhammad, Abdul Fawan, Abdullah Khan, Syeda Bibi, Dostum Khan, Hasina Bibi and Talay Zar. In Dachi Bandi, nine members of two families were killed. They have been identified as Abdul Khaliq, Zareena Bibi, Abdul Qaum, Kharo Bibi, Bijlo Bibi, Sabania Bibi, Hamail Bibi, Roivina Bibi, Bibi Dawlo.

Mohammad Naeem, a resident of Kohistan, told Dawn that the government should immediately start a relief operation in the affected areas because over 100 families had been displaced by rains and landslides.