6 houses buried in Mansehra landslide

Three bodies recovered as rescue efforts continue

MANSEHRA: Three persons were killed and a number of others feared buried alive as a landslide hit houses in the remote Jabar village in the Siren valley, local sources said on Saturday.

The police and rescuers from Mansehra and other parts of the district faced difficulties in reaching the affected village as the main Jabori road leading to the area was blocked at three points owing to landsliding, officials said.

Locals reached the spot to rescue the victims and retrieved three bodies while search for more than a dozen people was in progress.

“Six houses were destroyed by the landslide,” District Nazim Said Ghulam told reporters.

He said that a large number of cattle and sheep were also buried alive. He added that a bridge linking villages on both sides of River Siren was washed away due to heavy water flow.

“The blocked routes and affected bridges in the valley are hampering rescue and relief operation there,” he added.

He said that a child was among the three people killed in the incident.

A police party had also left for the affected village.

Abdul Wahid, a resident of Jabori area in the Siren valley, said the incident of landslide frequently take place in the Jabar village and in the entire valley. He added that the latest incident occurred late Friday. The main Jabori road at Domail, Nawazabad and another point had been blocked by landsliding, hampering rescue activities.

Federal Minister for Haj and Interfaith Harmony Sardar Mohammad Yousuf also visited the affected area.