MANSEHRA: Hundreds of tourists, policemen and even local people have been stuck in Kaghan valley after the region received heavy snowfall, blocking Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road to all sorts of vehicular traffic.

The snowfall, which started on Monday night, continued the entire day on Tuesday, blocking the road between Kaghan and Babusar top, thus suspending traffic between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan.

The Barawai mountainous place in Kaghan valley received snowfall of over three feet.

As many as 60 policemen deployed at Barawai police checkpost and 200 locals were stranded there following the blockade of the road.

“Over a 1,000 tourists and locals are stranded in the valley as heavy snowfall has blocked Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad road to traffic,” said Mukhtar Ahmad Swati, who had gone to Naran for business purpose.

He told reporters by telephone that situation was getting worse because of continuous snowfall in the valley.

He said that National Highway Authority should immediately move with heavy machinery to reopen the road to traffic, otherwise tourists and locals won’t be able to move out of the valley even in weeks.

“There is a complete power blackout in the valley and if situation prevails, there might be food and petrol shortages,” said Mr Swati.

Hamad Aslam, a tourist from Lahore, told reporters by telephone that the government should take prompt measures for reopening of the road, otherwise the prevailing situation would put stranded tourists into more troubles.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2018