Bajaur roads hit by flash flood

BAJAUR: A flash flood triggered by torrential rains led to the closure of a causeway on the main Bajaur-Munda Road here on Tuesday, officials said. They said that the rainwater washed away a diversion on the under-construction road in Lowi Mamund tehsil. Officials and residents told Dawn that the fresh rains across the district suspended vehicular and pedestrian movement on various link roads for several hours early on Tuesday after the roads were submerged. They added that the floodwater forced authorities to close a causeway along the main Bajaur-Munda Road to vehicular and pedestrian traffic. The causeway serves as a diversion for the under-construction Jar Bridge. The continued rise in the water level on the causeway, an alternative route for vehicular traffic while the Jar Bridge remains under construction, led to the temporary closure of the route to avoid any untoward incident, according to Rescue 1122. In a statement, spokesman for Rescue 1122 Khar station Riaz Ahmad Khan said the road connecting the district to the rest of the province via Munda in Lower Dir district was closed to traffic after several vehicles and pedestrians were stranded in floodwater. 'After receiving information about motorists and pedestrians being stranded, a team of rescuers immediately reached the spot and used safety cables to help them go to the other side safely,' he said. The spokesman said a number of rescue workers had been put on alert in the area since morning to deal with any emergency situation. He urged residents to avoid crossing the causeway in vehicles and to take precaution near water to prevent any unpleasant incident. Mr Khan urged people to use the Khar-Qazafi Bypass Road for own safety until the causeway is reopened. Meanwhile, the flooding caused by rains also affected a number of link roads in different areas of the district. Residents and officials said the under-construction Barkholozo-Mena Road in Amanata area of Lowi Mamund was among the roads affected by the rains. They said that the damage to the link roads had caused great inconvenience to commuters and pedestrians. Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2026