The evacuation of over 10,000 tourists and locals from Kaghan Valley has been successfully completed.
According to the Deputy Commissioner of Mansehra, the valley is now empty, with all hotels from Kaghan to Naran fully vacated. However, approximately 110 to 120 vehicles remain stranded in Mahandri.
The Deputy Commissioner stated that efforts are underway to clear the stranded vehicles, and a temporary route is being established. The reconstruction of the Mahandri bridge, which is expected to take around 10 to 12 days, is also in progress.
In addition, machinery has been deployed to address the lake burst at the Kunhar River, as mentioned by the Deputy Commissioner.
It is important to note that the collapse of the Mahandri bridge on the Kaghan Highway has severed the valley’s connection to Balakot for nearly a week. Attempts to construct a temporary bridge over the canal were repeatedly thwarted by swift water flow. However, after five days, a zip line was successfully installed across Munawar Nullah, allowing people to cross.
The Chief Secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Tourism Adviser, and other officials visited Mahandri to assess the situation and explore solutions for restoring connectivity to the valley.
