LOWER KOHISTAN: A landslide at the Patan Dak area of Lower Kohistan has blocked the Karakoram Highway (KKH) for all types of traffic, temporarily severing the road link between Pakistan and China and leaving hundreds of travelers and tourists stranded.
According to local police officials, the highway closure has halted vehicles traveling from various parts of the country to Gilgit-Baltistan, while tourists heading to northern Pakistan and the Pakistan-China border have also been significantly affected.
Authorities said those stranded include women, children, elderly passengers and students, many of whom have been waiting for several hours for the road to reopen.
Some travelers attempted to create a narrow passage to allow small vehicles to pass, but traffic could not be fully restored due to the scale of the landslide.
The blockage has resulted in long queues of cargo trucks and other vehicles on both sides of the highway, disrupting not only local traffic but also cross-border trade and freight movement between Pakistan and China.
Police said the relevant authorities have been mobilized to clear debris from the highway, and restoration work is underway to reopen the strategic route as soon as possible.
Officials have urged the public to avoid unnecessary travel and advised commuters to check the latest road conditions before setting out on journeys along the Karakoram Highway.
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