Travellers were stranded after heavy downpours spawned a landslide that blocked the national highway, connecting Balochistan and Punjab, in Zhob on Monday.

The operation is under way to clear the DI Khan National Highway in the Dansar Hill range, National Highway General Manager Agha Inayat.

The Met Office has forecasted rain and thunderstorms in upper parts of Pakistan on November 8 and 9, as a new weather pattern hits the country.

Under the influence of this weather system: light to moderate rain was also expected in Quetta, Kharan, Harnai, Chaman, Ziarat, Qilla Abdullah, Qillah Saif Ullah, Loralai, Pishin, Zhob, Musa Khel, Sibbi, Mastung, Kalat, Noshki and Chaghi on Monday and Tuesday.

It may take at least 72 hours to reopen the blocked highway due to massive landslides, he added.

A part of the mountain during the landslide fell on the highway, the general manager said and added that a large part of the highway was damaged and collapsed due to the landslide.

Most of the passengers were stranded on the highway.

Inayat warned that there was a possibility of more landslides due to rain and urged passengers and transporters to avoid traveling on the affected highway.