Hundreds of passengers stranded in Kohistan as more rain expected

MANSEHRA: A large number of passengers remained stranded in Kohistan on the second consecutive day on Tuesday as Karakoram Highway (KKH) couldn't be reopened to vehicular traffic after the recent snowfall."We have moved machinery to clear the KKH, which has been blocked at various points in both upper and lower Kohistan. The work is going on to clear the important highway," Abdul Saboor Khan, Upper Kohistan District Police Officer, told reporters.The Karakoram Highway was blocked at Guloz Banda, Matta, Koz Kamila and parts of Lower Kohistan on Sunday after heavy snowfall.The passengers travelling between Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remained stranded on both sides of the KKH amid a severe cold."We have been stranded here for the last two days," Mohammad Miskeen, a passenger told reporters.Meanwhile, more scattered rain is expected in Malakand, Hazara divisions and at isolated places in Mardan and Peshawar divisions of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa today (Wednesday). Weather pundits also predicted more snowfall over hills in Malakand division (Swat, Chitral, Kalam, Malam Jabba and Upper Dir, Hazara division, Murree, Galliyat, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.Different parts of the province also received rain and snowfall on Tuesday. Malam Jaba received 47, Balakot 33, Kalam 32, Pattan 27, Kakul 26, Dir (Lower 13, upper 12), Saidu Sharif 07, Mirkhani, Risalapur 05, Chitral, Drosh 03 millimetre shower.The snowfall recorded in Malam Jabba 19, Kalam 16, Murree 08, Astore 05, Bagrote and Hunza 01 inch.

from The News International - National http://bit.ly/2CD0sh1