MANSEHRA: Heavy rain and flash floods on Wednesday wreaked havoc in Upper Kohistan district with the landslides blocking the Karakoram Highway at various points and floodwaters washing away many link roads, bridges and school buildings.

District education officer Sharafat Khan told reporters here that he had declared three days vacation in schools for the disposal of rubble and floodwaters.

The residents said the Karakoram Highway was blocked in Khushi area early morning by the heavy mudslides from mountains.

They said a landslide hit a passenger coach bound for Mansehra from Khushi area but four people travelling in it remained unhurt and came rushing out of it.

Also, the people travelling between Gilgit-Baltistan and other parts of the country remained stranded on both sides of the KKH from early morning to around 4pm when the Frontier Works Organisation and Wapda teams cleared the highway.

A FWO official told reporters that boulders rolled down the mountains to block the KKH but they’re removed to restore traffic.

The flash floods partially damaged the buildings of the Government Intermediate College, Government High School for Boys and Government Primary School in Suo sub-division of Mansehra district.

The Phumblat Nullah was flooded, while many roads leading to villages were swept away by floodwaters.

Provincial president of the Malgari Ustazan Khursheed Khan told reporters that the school and college buildings were partially damaged by the natural calamity, which destroyed a hostel.

He said the rainwater entered educational institutions and houses but no damage to public life was reported as the people moved to safer places.

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2021