45 Pakistanis stranded in China as landslides block road

FWO clears 600-km affected roads in KP, GB; heavy rain, snowfall,

landslides damage 600 houses in GB

ISLAMABAD: At least 45 Pakistanis were stranded in Chinese Tashkurgan as the Karakoram Highway was blocked due to landslides, caused by torrential rains in the area. The stranded persons can neither go back to Xinjiang nor enter Pakistan, a private news channel reported on Saturday.

Sarfraz Bacha, one of the stranded persons, told the channel 45 people were stuck in the area and their visas were about to expire. He said the stranded persons hail from different areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and one belongs to Punjab.

Meanwhile, the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) on Saturday restored 600 kilometres long different roads at landslide hit points including the Karakoram Highway and Gilgit-Baltistan.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Karakoram Highway and different roads in GB was closed at 175 points due to landslides on April 3.

Over 100 people have lost their lives in storm-related incidents in different areas, Reuters reported Wednesday. Army rescuers have cleared 108 obstructions, restoring 475 kilometres long road.

At least 22 points have been cleared in Gilgit and Skardu, opening 125-km long roads for traffic. Army copters distributed relief items to affectees in Chilas, Barseen and Patan.

At least 33-tonnes wheat has also been issued by authorities for affectees in Gilgit. On the other hand, as many as 23 persons could not be rescued from under the rubble in Kohistan’s Kandia after six days, prompting locals to offer their funeral prayers and declare the site a graveyard.

According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), by April 8, 17 were killed in Shangla, 13 in Swat, two in Bannu, six in Upper Dir, two in Chitral, Mardan, Lower Dir and Battagram each.

Meanwhile, heavy rain, snowfall that continued for48 hours, has brought life to a standstill in parts of Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral which triggered a series of snow avalanches, unusual flash floods and landslides, damaging 600 houses with thousands of other homes reporting leaks in the roof.