Stranded Thai tourists evacuated

MANSEHRA: The Thai tourists stranded in Kaghan valley following the blockade of the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad road due to a landslide have left the valley for Islamabad after the district administration reopened the road on Monday.

Mansehra Deputy Commissioner Iqbal Hussain told reporters that 84 foreign tourists were escorted to their destinations as the road was reopened to traffic. He said the tourists belonging to Thailand were stranded in Kaghan valley due to a landslide. “We deployed the police in the areas, where foreign tourists were stranded and used heavy machinery to open the road,” the official said.

Iqbal Hussain said that local tourists stranded in the valley also left for respective destinations.Roman Burhana, Assistant Commissioner of Balakot, who led the operation to provide security and escort the foreigner tourists, said that no foreigner or local tourist was injured in the landslide.

Meanwhile, the Karakoram Highway (KKH), which remained blocked in the last nine days at various places in Kohistan, couldn’t be reopened though the personnel of the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) spent the entire day clearing it.

The local residents and passengers stranded between Dasu and Chelas are facing the shortage of foods and fuel due to closure of the road.According to officials of the district administration, the road would be reopened to traffic within a couple of days as the personnel of FWO were busy clearing the KKH.