Landslide kills two more in Kohistan

By Syed Kosar Naqvi

MANSEHRA: Two more persons were killed due to landslide in Upper Kohistan on Tuesday.

“Two bikers hit by a landslide. The body of one of them was retrieved and rescue operation is still on to recover the body of the other,” Mohammad Gul, the head of special Branch in Upper Kohistan confirmed. Rafiuddeen and his friend Mohammad Naeem were on way home in Shatial on a bike when the landslide hit them, burying them alive.

The locals rushed to the scene and pulled out the body of one of them.

The Karakoram Highway which was already blocked at various points in Upper and Lower Kohistan also blocked in Shatial following the landslide.

According to police, the vehicular traffic which was already suspended between Gilgit-Baltistan via KKH would remain suspended for another night too.

ABBOTTABAD: Following the complete blockade of Abbottabad- Murree road due to heavy snowfall, the Galiyat Development Authority (GDA) and other line departments are making efforts to remove the snow to clear the roads.

Abbottabad Deputy Commissioner Amir Afaq, Director General GDA Raza Ali Habib and senior officials of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Highway Authority visited the Abbottabad-Murree road and supervised the operation.

The Abbottabad police and army officials also supervised the operation to rescue the stranded tourists who were stuck up at Tauheedabad on their way to Murree from Nathiagali.

At least two to three feet snowfall was recorded in Dongagali, Ayubia, Changlagali, Nathiagali, Baragali and Thandiyani.

Almost all the main and link roads in Galiyat are closed to traffic.

Deputy Commissioner Abbottabad Amir Afaq told reporters in Nathiagali that road clearance process on Abbottabad-Murree road had started as road machinery of line departments have rushed to different spots.

He said most of the stranded people had been rescued. He added the GDA, Communication and Works and KPHA officials had arrived at the spot to clear the road.

The official said he was supervising the operation and three machines were being used to clear the road. To a question about the lack of coordination among the departments, he said all the line departments were engaged in the road clearance operation. GDA Director General Raza Habib said that rescue staff of GDA would be available in Galiyat as road clearance machinery has started its operation. He asked the tourists to avoid travelling at least for two days.