MIANWALI: The traffic on Mianwali-Rawalpindi road has reportedly been disrupted for the last 48 hours because of overturning of a couple of trucks loaded with goods due to continuous downpour in the Salt Range hilly area of Dhak, some 25 kilometre from here.

The situation persisting since Friday night has resulted in miles-long queues of vehicles, including buses carrying passengers, on both sides of the road, with no immediate relief in sight. The queue on eastern side of the road starts from Musakhel and that on the western side from Chakrala.

According to sources, the local traffic police and administration have no machinery to remove the overturned trucks and clear the busy road that is frequently used by vehicles bound for Rawalpindi, Peshawar and Karachi.

The sources say the situation is getting extremely difficult for the stranded passengers who have no access to potable water or food as even the nearest roadside eateries are at least five kilometers away.

One of the passengers, Ramzan Munshi, who has been stranded for the last 24 hours told this scribe on mobile phone that police personnel were standing helplessly near the accident’s spot, while apparently no efforts were being made by the district administration to clear the road.

District Coordination Officer Talat Mehmood Gondal told Dawn that authorities at Mianwali airbase of the Pakistan Air Force had been contacted for provision of crane to remove the overturned vehicles.

He said traffic police, revenue staff and district police were present on the scene there, hoping the traffic would be restored soon.

According to sources, despite frequent traffic accidents on the road due to its hilly terrain the district administration had no crane to remove the overturned vehicles.

Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2015

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