Tourists barred from visiting Saiful Muluk lake
MANSEHRA: The district administration on Tuesday barred tourists from travelling to Saiful Muluk lake amid fears of flash floods in the Kaghan Valley. “We have deployed policemen to ensure the safety of tourists and have restricted travel to flash flood-prone...
**Tourists barred from visiting Saiful Muluk Lake amid flash-flood risk in Kaghan Valley**
MANSEHRA: Authorities in Mansehra on Tuesday stopped tourists from travelling to Saiful Muluk Lake as heavy rain continued across the upper Hazara region and raised the risk of flash floods in Kaghan Valley.
Balakot Assistant Commissioner Hasrat Khan said police had been deployed to protect visitors and restrict access to areas considered vulnerable, including Lake Saiful Muluk, until weather conditions improve. He said the district administration was acting out of concern for public safety as rainfall persisted in the valley and surrounding hills.
The upper parts of Hazara division, including Mansehra, Torghar, Upper Kohistan, Lower Kohistan and Kolai-Palas, saw heavy rain for a third straight day on Tuesday. The downpour triggered landslides in several locations and blocked roads, disrupting travel in the region.
A number of tourists were stranded in the upper parts of Kaghan Valley and near Saiful Muluk Lake after landslides cut off the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road and the road connecting Naran with the lake. According to Khan, all stranded visitors had left for their destinations earlier in the day after the administration cleared the debris and restored traffic.
He said police remained stationed on the road to the lake and no one was being allowed to continue towards Saiful Muluk while the rain continued.
Khan also said authorities had detained several people who tried to recover timber logs from the Kunhar River, describing the move as dangerous amid the ongoing flood threat.
The assistant commissioner added that a temporary ramp had been built on the MNJ Road to help restore traffic between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan. He said the damaged stretch would be repaired once the weather clears.
This report is based on a monitored public feed from Dawn Pakistan. Source: Dawn Pakistan - https://www.dawn.com/news/2017329/tourists-barred-from-visiting-saiful-muluk-lake
