After three days of struggles, the Karakoram Highway has been opened for all kinds of traffic, announced the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a statement on Friday

The military’s media wing said that the Frontier Works Organization (FWO) worked tirelessly day and night to open Karakoram Highway.

“Despite bad weather and difficult conditions, FWO teams worked day and night to open the road for traffic,” said the ISPR.

The ISPR said that the highway got blocked on Tuesday due to the rains in Gilgit Baltistan and was closed at 20 points from Tatta Pani to Raikot.

A large number of tourists and locals had been stranded due to the closure of the Karakoram Highway following landslides in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Heavy machinery was installed on both sides of the Karakoram to clear the highway, but there were difficulties in rehabilitation work due to landslides.

The GB Home Department had said work on opening the blocked portions of the Karakoram Highway started early Thursday morning.

On Thursday, the Karakoram Highway remained closed for traffic for the second consecutive day due to land sliding at Tatta Pani and Lal Pari areas of GB’s Diamer district. As a result, several tourists were stuck.

According to Information Department Deputy Director Farooq Ahmed Khan, the highway had been blocked for traffic at nine points due to land sliding.

He said the road had been cleared at seven of the affected points and restoration work at the two remaining points was underway since Thursday morning.

The land sliding in Tatta Pani also caused loss to several vehicles, including an oil tanker. However, no casualty due to rain-related incidents was reported in the area.

District administration officials in Diamer told that efforts were underway to clear the highway for traffic, but they were facing hardships as stones continued to roll down the mountains.

They added that Babusar Pass Road, another artery affected by rains, had been opened for traffic.