Stranded travellers wait for reopening of roads

CHITRAL: A large number people remained stranded on Chitral-Mastuj and other roads in both Lower and Upper Chitral after heavy rains caused flooding and landsliding early on Tuesday.

The Chitral-Mastuj road was blocked at different points such as Kari, Ragh, Koghuzi, Shader-Reshun and in front of Booni. Bridges over nullahs at Koghuzi and Ragh have been washed away and required repaired reconstruction.

Meanwhile, power supply from Golen Gol powerhouse is suspended.

Anwar Uddin, a government employee from Upper Chitral, told ChitralToday on phone that he was returning to Chitral town with his family when the road was found blocked near Mroi.

He said a large number of people were stuck on both sides of the blocked nullahs with no possibility of its reopening anytime soon. He said residents of the village first arranged tea, water and food for the passengers and then took them to their houses for the night stay. Similar was the situation in other areas where the road was blocked after flash flooding and landsliding.

The district administration of Lower Chitral said the NHA had started work to reopen the road by using heavy machinery. However, it was not possible to clear the debris, boulders and other hurdles piled up on the road at different points.

An official in Lower Chitral said that one of the two flooded nullahs near Mroi was cleared later in the evening.

Apart from the road connecting Lower and Upper Chitral, Kalash valleys, Garam Chashma, Shishikoh and other areas were also cut off. Nullahs in different villages of Chitral were in high floods cutting cutting off links and washing away water supply lines and damaging power stations especially in Upper Chitral.

The district administration of Upper Chitral said due to continuing rain, flash floods and landslides have blocked many roads in the district, especially in Yarkhun, Torkhow and Mulkhow along with the main road to Chitral town.

It said revenue staff had started assessing damages in the flood-hit areas and officials concerned have been directed to arrange relief items to the affected people.

Additional Assistant Commissioner Esa Muhammad Khan distributed relief items among the affected people of Mulkhow and Torkhow.