ISLAMABAD: Heavy landslides triggered by torrential rains suspended the traffic on the N-50 highway, connecting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, at Dhana Sar and Manikhawa locations in Balochistan’s Sherani district on Sunday.
“A large part of the Balochistan-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa highway has been affected by the landslide at Dhana Sar on the National Highway (N-50) after which traffic has been suspended,” a National Highway Authority spokesperson told the Associated Press of Pakistan.
The field staff and machinery of NHA have been mobilised to remove the landslide debris from the road, he added.
Meanwhile, NHA Chairman Captain (retd) Muhammad Khurram Agha was in contact with NHA field officers in Balochistan-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Shahid Ehsanullah, a member of the NHA southern Balochistan, was himself supervising the restoration work and expressed hope for the complete opening of traffic soon.
At present, the state-run news agency reported that the NHA staff and machinery were “active” to remove landslide debris from the road while more heavy machinery has been called from Zhob and Quetta.
The NHA has opened the road for light traffic while the affected road would be completely restored for all types of traffic within 24 to 30 hrs.
Agha Inayatullah, the general manager Balochistan-North, has requested the commissioner and deputy commissioner to stop the traffic in Zhob and Saifullah. Passengers coming from KP can use the alternative route N-70, Loralai-DG Khan Highway.
The NHA has appealed to the passengers heading in the affected direction to be aware of the weather conditions before travelling. “The NHA is always ready to deal with all kinds of emergencies and is committed to providing the best road services to the nation,” it said.
Last month, three labourers were killed when they were buried under a landslide while quarrying stones in Jamrud tehsil of the Khyber district.
Media reports said that a group of workers was busy excavating stones in the Sarkai hilly area of Sur Kamar on the outskirts of Jamrud when a huge portion of soil and stones came down on them.
