HATTIAN BALA (Kashmir English): Leepa road blocked after heavy snowfall, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), stranding 20 passengers near Midway, as authorities suspended restoration efforts due to extreme weather conditions and urged caution.
During severe weather, heavy snow blocked the passage of Leepa Road, thus stranding passengers who remained stranded along the blocked route.
The heavy snow accumulation has cut off Leepa Road, preventing every type of movement in the region. SDO Roads Department Raja Masroor Ahmed has stated that snow conditions prevent any restoration activities from taking place at present. Through his interviews with the media, he explained that recent continuous snowfall has triggered numerous glacier collapses along the path, making safety conditions very risky.
Dominant snow conditions caused a group of Roads Department team members led by Raja Masroor Ahmed to journey from Reshian toward Midway. Home Department technicians conducted an assessment that showed extreme weather conditions together with glacier collapses blocked the road path to the point where maintenance became impossible at the moment.
A total of twenty passengers were present in five vehicles which ignored warnings from local authorities and media while travelling from Muji towards Reshian. The vehicles ended up stranded in the Midway region because of heavy snow accumulation. Rescue teams launched an emergency evacuation that brought all passengers safely to Reshian after their rescue completion. The passers had to leave their cars behind since the road remained buried beneath snow.
Roads Department personnel operate a wheel loader along with staff based at Reshian and keep a chain excavator positioned at Midway. The implementation of a chain dozer from Shelter No. 3 at Kilometre No. 10 continues toward Midway to help with future clearance tasks.
SDO Raja Masroor Ahmed reported that the restoration initiative will begin immediately after any weather improvement, thus all resources will be deployed for the speediest road recovery. SDO Raja Masroor Ahmed renewed his request for everyone to abstain from driving during extreme weather episodes because their safety, together with that of others, remains at stake.
Authority members hold constant watch over the situation with safety as their primary focus. Community members together with visitors should avoid all non-essential journeys until weather conditions normalize based on official warnings.
