(MENAFN- Tribal News Network)
Kohat: The Kohat Tunnel on the Indus Highway remains closed for the third consecutive day, while the Kohat Kotal mountainous road is also blocked, creating severe problems for thousands of travelers.
The tunnel was unexpectedly shut down on October 9, leading to a traffic jam with hundreds of vehicles stranded on the Indus Highway. Thousands of passengers have been left facing hardship, and the situation has not improved.
In addition, the Kohat Kotal road, an old route, is similarly congested with hundreds of vehicles, including many cargo trucks. Speaking to TNN, drivers expressed their frustration over being stuck for three days without any assistance.
One driver shared that he is transporting grapes from Kabul via the Kurram border at Kharlachi, but the extended delay is causing the fruit to spoil in his truck, putting him at risk of losing millions of rupees. Other vehicles loaded with bananas, onions, and tomatoes are also at risk of spoiling, with potential losses running into the millions.
The road closures have also severely impacted patients traveling to hospitals in Peshawar. One patient's relative explained that they were taking a patient from Kurram district to Peshawar, but the roadblocks left them stranded, and the patient's condition worsened. Many other vehicles also have patients on board, unable to move forward or return, with people suffering from hunger and thirst.
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While local organizations, including Al-khidmat, and other social welfare groups have distributed water and rice to the stranded people, the number of travelers is too large for these efforts to meet the demand.
The district administration, meanwhile, stated that the tunnel and mountainous road were closed due to serious security threats.
Kohat Tunnel is a crucial route linking Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with other provinces, with millions of vehicles using it daily. Its closure is not only causing inconvenience to travelers but also inflicting significant economic losses, with estimates running into the millions.
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