Over 150 Tourists Rescued from Snowbound Kaghan Valley by Mansehra Police

Mansehra: The Mansehra police have successfully rescued more than 150 tourists, including women and children, who were stranded in the snow-covered upper regions of Kaghan Valley on Wednesday.

According to a report published in Dawn News, District Police Officer (DPO) Shafiullah Khan Gandapur said that around 50 vehicles were stuck in snow in Babusar Top and surrounding areas. All the stranded tourists were rescued safely.

The DPO stated that the tourists were traveling between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan when heavy snowfall blocked the roads, leaving them trapped in the mountains.

He said that police teams reached the locations promptly, pulled vehicles out of the snow, and shifted the tourists to hotels and safe shelters in Naran and nearby areas.

“Our rescue operation continued throughout the night,” said Gandapur. “All stranded tourists were transported to safety in police vans. Even a tourist van carrying 12 passengers, including women and children, was towed to a safe point.”

Due to extreme weather and icy roads, traffic has been suspended on the Mansehra–Naran–Jalkhad Road to avoid accidents.

The DPO added that once the weather clears and the snow melts, a decision will be made to reopen the route between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Meanwhile, the National Highway Authority (NHA) has started snow clearance operations on the MNJ Road from Baisal to Naran, allowing stranded tourists to return safely.

In a touching act of hospitality, restaurant owner Hussain Din Swati in Baisal offered free food and shelter to the trapped travelers. He said, “We welcomed those who were stranded due to slippery and blocked roads between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan.”