Landslide blocks Baltistan Road, thousands stranded near Skardu

The Baltistan Road was blocked by landslides near Shangus in Skardu’s Roundu Valley on Thursday morning, leaving thousands of passengers, including tourists, stranded on both sides, Dawn reported.

The Gilgit-Baltistan Disaster Management Authority (GBDMA) said the road was completely blocked and traffic suspended.

Boulders need blasting

Debris was still sliding at the site, the GBDMA said in a statement, and large boulders blocking the road could not be removed with machinery and needed blasting. The Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) was sending a blasting team to clear the debris.

Travel advice

The road will stay closed at least until Friday, the authority said. Its advice to tourists and residents:

• Avoid non-essential travel on the Baltistan Road.
• Do not try to cross the landslide zone, because of the high risk of more sliding.
• Call the police helpline 15 before setting out for the latest road conditions.

“The public and travellers are advised to avoid unnecessary travel and contact the police helpline at 15 before setting out to obtain the latest information about road conditions,” the statement said.

A lifeline for four districts

The 167-kilometre Juglot-Skardu Road, renamed the Baltistan Road, runs along the Indus River and is considered one of the most dangerous mountain routes in the region, Dawn reported. Residents of four districts depend on it to reach the rest of the country:

• Skardu
• Kharmang
• Shigar
• Ghanche

The reconstructed road was opened in 2021.

“Design not implemented,” residents say

Residents have expressed concern over the failure to put safety measures in place on a road that is often blocked by landslides and has seen many fatal accidents.

They point to:

• Frequent landslides on several stretches
• No roadside safety barriers or warning signs
• Poor safety instructions for motorists
• Limited telecommunications at checkpoints

Residents have repeatedly complained that adequate safety measures were not introduced during reconstruction, and alleged that the original project design was not implemented. Several stretches have sharp turns and are prone to landslides, making them especially hazardous, they said.

Woman killed in Shangla landslide

In a separate incident on Thursday, a woman died and four others were injured when a landslide buried them while they were digging clay for household use in the Kuza Awarai area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Shangla district, Dawn reported. Five women had gone to collect clay to make traditional stoves when a portion of earth collapsed on them.

Residents pulled all five from the debris and took them to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital in Puran, where one died. One of the injured women was in critical condition and was referred to Swat. Also in Puran tehsil on Thursday, a tractor driver, Ziaur Rehman, was killed when his vehicle plunged into a ravine from a rough village road in the Navy Kaly area, police said.

Tourists among the stranded

Tourists were among the thousands stranded on both sides of the blockage, Dawn reported. The GBDMA has asked anyone planning to travel to check road conditions with the police helpline first.

The region is also preparing for local government elections on December 5, when Skardu is one of three cities holding municipal corporation polls.