GILGIT: A heavy rockfall blocked the Kara­koram Highway (KKH) at the Chanas area on Tuesday, cutting off land access to Hunza and Nagar and stranding thousands of passengers and tourists for nearly eight hours.

Long queues of vehicles were seen on both sides of the road as people, including students and patients, faced difficulties.

Local administration officials said the rockfall occurred early on Tuesday. With traffic suspended, passengers had to cross the debris on foot and were shifted to vehicles waiting on the other side.

Authorities said restoration work on the affected stretch of the KKH was under way and expressed hope that the road would be reopened for traffic on Wednesday (today).

The local administration advised travellers and tourists to avoid travelling to the area until the confirmation of the road’s reopening.

Meanwhile, snowfall was reported in various parts of the region, with temperatures dropping to the freezing point.

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2025