A landslide has blocked one of the main roads to the tourist town of Kumrat Valley in Upper Dir and has put several vehicles to a standstill, troubling the tourists and travellers.
The landslide happened at Chiragali along the Kumrat Valley Road, where heavy rains and snows have continued for a long period of time. Due to the closure of the road, there were long lines of cars waiting to cross, and passengers and tourists, as well as locals, were all left in a dilemma to continue their way.
The disruptions follow the arrival of rain and snow in lower and upper Chitral and nearby region and in the upper areas for the last 24 hours, due to which the weather is changing.
Although the weather began to clear on Friday morning, strong and cold winds continued to increase the intensity of the cold.
There was snowfall at several upper areas of Upper Chitral district including Torkhow, Terich, Khot, Ajno, Rech, Broghil, Yarkhun and Shandur.
Some additional snowfall was received at the following locations: Garam Chashma, Karimabad, Upper Villages of Kalash Valley, Lowari tunnel, Golen and Madaklasht in Lower Chitral.
In Lowari Tunnel, no snowfall and traffic was normal. But the situation on Kumrat Valley Road was complicated as a result of the landslide and travellers were inconvenienced.
In the meantime, it provided relief in the water-challenged areas while some areas in Chitral have started wheat sowing.
However, residents of Chitral are also grappling with the rising prices of fuel as firewood is now sold in Chitral city at Rs1,300 to Rs1,500 per maund and coal is sold at Rs1,200 to Rs1,600 per maund while cylinder gas is sold at Rs900 to Rs1,000 per cylinder.
The road closure has added to the difficulties of people travelling through the region amid the harsh weather conditions.
