Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Commuters at the E35 Hazara Expressway in Pakistan’s northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa took a sigh of relief when the hours-long traffic jam caused by a landslide was finally tamed by a team of Chinese engineers.
“Traffic at both sides was jammed when the landslide completely blocked a section of the expressway, disrupting traffic at both directions of the road and stranding hundreds of people including women and kids in extremely cold weather,” a traffic policeman deployed at the E35 expressway told Xinhua late Thursday.
People were getting panicked, feeling helpless in the face of natural disaster as they had no choice but to wait for the clearance of the road, he said.
“Chinese are famous for their hard work and proficiency, last night people actually witnessed it by seeing them working and guiding laborers to remove the debris of the broken hills,” the policeman told media.
Built by the China Road and Bridge Corporation under the framework of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the 40-km-long Hazara Expressway starts from Havelian to Mansehra and connects Thakot under the Karakorum Highway Phase II project in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. People who used to spend over five hours to reach Thakot from Havelian now travel the same distance in less than two hours.
The road was busy as usual when the landslide happened on Wednesday. Luckily no vehicle was hit.
Talking to Xinhua, Spokesman of Motorway Police Saqib Waheed said that at the time when both sides of the expressway were blocked, Chinese engineers were quick to clear it on Wednesday night, following which the road was partially opened for light vehicles in the early hours of Thursday and heavy vehicles will be allowed to cross the area on Friday after the remaining debris is removed.
“Chinese take very good care of the E35 and are always ready to come for rescue and support if any traffic-related problem occurs. This time too.
They acted briskly to help the people by clearing the road for them despite harsh weather.”
Landslide is very common in the mountainous terrain of the province and adjoining Gilgit Baltistan area where road traffic would sometimes remain suspended for days due to the disaster caused by snowfall, rain or other factors.
Abdul Manan, a resident of Mansehra district from where the E35 passes, told Xinhua that the E35 is the jewel of the mountainous terrain of the province. Besides shrinking distances, it brought comfort and safety to people’s lives and helped promote tourism in the area.
“Chinese provided many employment opportunities to the people living in the Manshera and adjoining districts. Everyone living here is already a strong admirer of China for giving us the present of E35, but the gesture Chinese showed on Thursday by rescuing people stranded in the traffic jam has won hearts of not only the passengers, but also their families,” Manan said
