ASTORE: Torrential rains and flash floods have forced the closure of the Astore Valley Road, severing the district’s only land link with the rest of the country, officials said on Wednesday.
The road was blocked at multiple locations after floodwaters damaged several sections of the route, bringing all traffic to a standstill and leaving thousands of residents, travellers and tourists stranded.
Local residents said the closure has disrupted the supply of food, medicines and other essential commodities, while raising serious concerns over the transportation of patients requiring emergency medical care.
With no alternative road connecting the district, Astore has effectively been cut off from the rest of the country, they added.
Residents urged the Gilgit-Baltistan government, the district administration, the National Highway Authority (NHA) and other relevant agencies to launch an emergency operation by deploying heavy machinery and additional personnel to clear the road and restore traffic at the earliest.