PESHAWAR: Heavy snow and rain fell in parts of Malakand and Hazara divisions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday bringing life to a standstill.

However, no damage to public life or property was reported.

Chitral, Swat, Upper Dir, Shangla and upper parts of Hazara division received heavy snow and rain increasing the cold and severing communication links.

Police in Lower Chitral district said heavy snowfall closed the Loweri Tunnel, which connected the district with the rest of the country.

Hundreds of travellers were stranded in the area due to the closure of roads.

A spokesman for the Chitral police told Dawn that vehicles had got stuck near the Loweri Tunnel and Drosh town.

He, however, said the police personnel had been directed to shift stranded persons to safe places.

Police urge people to avoid unnecessary travel to region

The spokesman said in view of inclement weather, owners of all vehicle stands and transport drivers had been asked not to take Dir and Chitral roads.

He said people should avoid unnecessary travel to the region due to heavy snowfall.

Swat, Shangla and Lower and Upper Dir districts also recorded widespread rain and snowfall.

The residents said blizzards hit Malam Jabba, Kalam, Gabin Jabba, Lalko, Jarogo, Gwalerai, Miandam, Madyan, Bahrain, Mankiyal, Utror, Gabral Matiltan, Sangar, Parona, Chinar, Elum and other hilly areas.

Malam Jabba, Gabin Jabba, Kalam, Utror, Gabral, Mankiyal and Matiltan areas received snow up to two feet, while rain lashed the region’s lower parts, including Mingora, Barikot and Kabal, for the second consecutive day.

Despite heavy snowfall, roads to Kalm and Malam Jabba remained open thanks to snowploughs deployed there.

DC Junaid Khan said smooth vehicular traffic for locals and tourists was the administration’s top priority and that assistant commissioners in snowbound areas were monitoring the situation round the clock.

Heavy snowfall continued in parts of Shangla district for the fifth consecutive day disrupting life due to biting cold and road closures.

The snowfall led to the closure of the Bisham-Swat Road from Machar to Shangla Top in Alpuri-Puran area. However, the district administration claimed that the Bisham-Swat Road had been opened to light traffic.

Snow and rain lashed most parts of Lower and Upper Dir districts.

The hilltops of Laram Darra, Sia Sar, Kalpani Maidan, Shahi Samarbagh and Sheenghar areas in Lower Dir and Qulandai Dara, Doog Dara, Dir Kohistan and Barawal areas in Upper Dir received heavy snowfall.

Around one foot of snowfall was reported at the Laram Top. Several tourists got stranded in Laram and Shahi areas after the closure of the road to traffic.

Heavy snow also fell in mountainous parts of Hazara division for the fourth consecutive day on Tuesday.

The snowfall, which began in Konsh valley, Siren valley, Kaghan valley and Shogran in Mansehra district, Kundia valley, Spat valley and high altitude parts of Upper Kohistan, Lower Kohistan, and Kolai-Palas three days ago, caused a severe cold in the region.

Resident Waqar Khan said the temperature dropped below freezing triggering record chill in decades.

The Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road, the arteries linking Milkial hill station with towns and cities, Donga Shahkheil Road, Chaterplan-Balimaung Road, Nilbin Road and Sathangalli Road continued to be blocked to traffic.

The district administration banned both residents and tourists from going beyond the police check post in Kaghan fearing landslides amid rains and snowfall.

Plains in most parts of Hazara division also received downpour causing landslides to block the roads linking the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road and Karakoram Highway.

The residents complained about low gas pressure.

The snowfall-induced road closures were reported in Battagram and adjoining areas as well. Snow fell in the remote Galey Maidan and Srei Oba areas.

The Meteorological Department forecast moderate toisolated heavyrain along with moderate toisolated heavysnowfallon Wednesday for Chitral, Lower and Upper Dir, Malakand, Bajaur, Buner, Swat, Shangla, Kohistan, Battagram, Torghar, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, Swabi and Khyber districts.

It also said there was a likelihood of scattered light rain falling in Peshawar, Charsadda, Mardan, Mohmand and Kohat districts.

The department forecast shallow fog in isolated pockets in Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera, Mardan and Swabi districts in late and early hours of the day.

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2023