Over 10,000 tourists evacuated after Kaghan bridge collapse

MANSEHRA: The evacuation of tourists and locals from Kaghan Valley has been completed, with over 10,000 tourists safely returned, ARY News reported.

According to Deputy Commissioner Mansehra, the valley is now empty, with all hotels from Kaghan to Naran fully vacated. However, around 110 to 120 vehicles remain stranded in Mahandri.

The DC said that efforts are being made to clear the stranded vehicles, with a temporary route being established. The reconstruction of the bridge at Mahandri is expected to take around 10 to 12 days.

Additionally, machinery has been summoned to address the lake burst at Kunhar River, the Deputy Commissioner added.

It is pertinent to mention here that, the Mahandri bridge on the Kaghan Highway collapsed, cutting off the valley’s connection to Balakot for nearly a week.

Despite attempts to construct a temporary bridge over the canal three times, swift water flow has hindered these efforts. However, after five days, a zip line was finally installed across Munawar Nullah, enabling people to cross.

Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Tourism Adviser, and other officials visited Mahandri to assess the situation and explore solutions to restore connectivity to the valley.