LEEPA, AJK (Kashmir English): Snowfall continues in Upper Neelum after a day full of rain on Tuesday.
By Tuesday night, two inches of snowfall has been recorded in Taobat, Ratti Gali, and Patliyan, while light snowfall has also been reported from Kel, Sharda, Sargon, Jagran, and Luwat.
The main Neelum highway is open for traffic. More than 15 tourists stranded due to slippery conditions on the Ratti Gali route have been rescued and moved to a safer location. No reports of any loss of life or property have been received.
The Deputy Commissioner/Chairman DDMA Neelum has issued instructions to all rescue agencies to remain alert in view of the weather conditions.
It is to mention that more than 50 passengers were rescued after they were stranded due to heavy snowfall on the Reshian-Leepa-Moji-Sher Gali Road in Leepa Valley on Tuesday.
Four vehicles, including two buses, were trapped near Dao Khan village after sudden snowfall blocked the route.
The stranded passengers, facing severe cold, were rescued in a timely operation conducted by the Pakistan Army’s Leepa Guards.
Snowfall causes slippery conditions
As per details, one of the passenger buses narrowly escaped an accident due to the slippage caused by snowfall.
The bus was going from Muzaffarabad to Leepa when it crashed into a side safety wall at Moji Sher Gali. The bus was carrying 25 passengers, including eight women.
The bus skidded due to severe slippage, but fortunately, it survived the accident.
The authorities immediately dispatched rescue teams and shifted the stranded passengers to safer locations.
Authorities have advised travelers to exercise caution as weather conditions remain unstable and snow continues to affect road connectivity in the higher regions of Leepa Valley.
On the other hand, hundreds of tourists were also stranded on the Babusar Road after the Naran and Kaghan Valley received the first snowfall of the winter season on Tuesday.
The intermittent snowfall continues in areas, including Batta Kundi, Besar Lake, Lulusar Lake, and Lake Saif-ul-Malook, attracting a large number of tourists.
Meanwhile, Abbottabad and other areas in Mansehra district experienced heavy rain, hailstorms, and thunderstorms, dropping the temperature significantly.
