Chitral cut off from rest of country after heavy snowfall
CHITRAL: Snowfall continued across Chitral on Monday morning cutting off links to remote areas.
Chitral police asked people to avoid travel on Chitral-Dir road as the approach road to the Lowari tunnel was blocked due to heavy snow on Chitral side and avalanches on Dir side.
It said National Highway Authority (NHA), district administration and the police were working to remove snow and reopen the road.
Meanwhile, locals told ChitralToday that travelling to upper Yarkhun was not possible from Zzupu due to heavy snow.
Villages such as Brep, Dizg, Bang etc., which normally receive light or no snowfall at all, have recorded six to eight inch of snow.
The roads to Mastuj, Garam Chashma, Kalash valleys were blocked at different points on Monday morning.
The harsh weather conditions have added to miseries of people across Chitral who lack firewood and other essentials in the winter.
It is feared that Chitral will face shortage of essential food items as trucks carrying goods to Chitral were reported stuck around Lowari due to heavy snow.
The situation in Upper Chitral can be critical if the road to Chitral is not cleared of snow to resume supply of basic commodities.
STATUS OF SNOWFALL AND ROAD BLOCKADES
Snowfall continues as per MET Office forecast in Chitral due to which main roads and valley roads were reportedly blocked for all sort of traffic. Latest position of snowfall in Chitral Lower is as under: PDMA
LOWARI APPROACH ROADS:
Snowfall recorded: 23 inch
Road status: blocked for all kind of
vehicular traffic.
KALASH VALLEY ROADS
Snowfall recorded: 5 inch
Road status: blocked.
DROSH-SHISHIKOH ROAD
Snowfall recorded: 6 inch
Road status: blocked.
GARAM CHASHMA ROAD
Snowfall recorded: 6 inch
Road status: blocked.
CHITRAL-BOONI ROAD
Snowfall recorded: 5 inch
Road status: blocked.
CHITRAL CITY (internal roads)
Snowfall recorded: 5 inch
Road status: blocked.
Areas in Upepr Chitral such as Yarkhun, Laspuir, Mastuj and Torkhow are also blocked with routine life coming to a halt. Poeple are even unable to move from one village to another.