GILGIT, Jan 2: The Northern Areas remained cut off from the rest of the country for the third day as the Karakoram Highway remained blocked, Frontier Works Organizations sources said.

The highway was blocked near Tatu Pani, Lutar, Chechan Pari and Aliwood Kohistan due to landslides caused by intermittent rains over the past week. The sources said FWO staff, including engineers, had reached the affected sites with bulldozers and earth movers to restore traffic.

All the blockades except the one near Aliwood had been cleared, they said. They said thousands of passengers were stranded and food and shelter problems were increasing.

They said the Gilgit-Astore road was also blocked at Dashkin by landslide. Flights between Gilgit and Islamabad have been suspended for 10 days. The meteorological office has forecast more rain in the lower parts and snowfall in the upper parts of the Northern Areas.