GILGIT, April 13: With most of Northern Areas cut off from the rest of the country because of torrential rains and landslides, thousands of passengers are stranded in Gilgit, Skardu, Astore and Ghizer districts.

Passengers said the Karakoram Highway (KKH) was blocked at different points due to landslides triggered by torrential rain.

They said transport companies kept passengers in dark about the KKH position and issued tickets. They travel but are stuck at various points between blockades. A passenger, Muhammad Kamran, said they faced problems of food and lodging as there were only a few hotels and restaurants along the highway.

Landsliding on the 400-km KKH between Gilgit and Battagram (NWFP) is a routine matter. The road is cleared regularly but mud and boulders continue to fall even during moderate rains, bus driver Rahim Khan said.

Passengers waiting for PIA flights in Gilgit and Skardu said they were disappointed to see frequent cancellation of flights over the past six days.

They accused PIA authorities of cancelling flights to Northern Areas even when the weather got clear.

They said hundreds of patients, women and students had been suffering because of continuous cancellation of flights.

They demanded that recently purchased all-weather passenger planes should be operated between Gilgit/Skardu and Rawalpindi.