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Naran-Kaghan road partially opened after snowfall wreaks havoc

He said the stranded tourists had been provided shelter by local people and announcements were made from mosques appealing to owners of hotels to provide free accommodation to them.

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Frontier Works Organization personnel are carrying out relief efforts at Bata Kundi road.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif took the notice of rescuing tourists from Naran and directed the federal institutions to extend assistance to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, Dunya News reported. The National Highway Authority (NHA) has sent the machinery to remove ice from the roads.

The disaster management authority has also asked the National Highway Authority to clear the road between Naran and Balakot.

Dozens of tourist jeeps were seen truck on roads in Bharwai area.

The NDMA would start the evacuation operation as severe weather subsides.

One person was killed and 20 injured when a gemstone mining camp in the village of Baisar collapsed under the weight of snow, police said. At least 2000 vehicle have been stranded in Naran.

Reportedly, Secretary Interior contacted KP’s Chief Secretary and offered assistance in evacuating the tourists stuck in Naran due to roads being closed because of snowfall and rain.

Landslides in mountainous northern Pakistan caused by unseasonably heavy rain and snow have left thousands of tourists stranded, officials said on Monday, while record October rainfall hit the capital, Islamabad.

According to Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), present weather spell is likely to continue for couple of days over upper parts of the country.

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Rain-thunderstorm is expected at scattered places in Islamabad, upper Punjab (Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sargodha, Faisalabad, divisions) upper KP (Malakand, Hazara, Peshawar, Kohat, Mardan, divisions), Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir, while at isolated places in D.G.Khan, Multan, Sahiwal, Bahawalpur, Zhob divisions during next two days.

Hundreds of tourists stranded in Pak after snowfall