Landslides block Karakoram Highway, Baltistan Road and strand travellers

GILGIT: Heavy rain triggered major landslides and mudflows in Gilgit-Baltistan on Wednesday, blocking the Karakoram Highway in Diamer and the Baltistan Road in Skardu and leaving many travellers stranded, according to the local administration and the Gilgit-Baltistan Disaster Management Authority.

Authorities said the Karakoram Highway was temporarily closed to all traffic after landslides and falling debris hit multiple locations between Gunar Farm and Lal Padi in the Chilas area of Diamer. The local administration said relevant agencies, including the National Highway Authority, were engaged in clearing debris and restoring the road.

Officials also urged tourists and other travellers to avoid using the highway and to check the latest road conditions before starting their journey. The closure caused long queues of vehicles on both sides of the Karakoram Highway, while a large number of passengers travelling to and from Gilgit-Baltistan remained stuck on the route.

The GBDMA said the Baltistan Road was also blocked after landslides near Maloopa in the Roundu area of Skardu. The local administration said work was underway to reopen the road to traffic, but passengers travelling to and from Baltistan remained stranded for many hours.

Weather alerts extended

The hazardous weather conditions also prompted the National Disaster Management Authority to extend landslide and flood alerts for the northern regions through next week.

In a separate warning, the National Emergency Operations Centre of the NDMA issued an alert about a possible flood situation in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir and Balochistan from June 16 to June 19.

Local agencies continued rehabilitation and clearance operations on the affected roads as authorities monitored the impact of continued rainfall in the region.