Landslide Blocks Baltistan Road, Strands Travellers
A landslide blocked the Baltistan Road near Shangus in Skardu’s Roundu Valley on Thursday morning, leaving thousands of passengers, including tourists, stranded on both sides of the road. The Gilgit-Baltistan Disaster Management Authority (GBDMA) said the road was completely blocked and traffic stood suspended.
The blockage cut the route that carries traffic between Gilgit and Skardu, stranding travellers heading in both directions. With the road shut, passengers were left waiting on either side of the debris, uncertain when the route would reopen.
Tourists were among those caught by the closure. Visitors travelling between Gilgit and Skardu found themselves stuck on either side of the slide, alongside local passengers who use the road for daily travel, trade and access to services in Skardu. For both groups, the closure meant waiting where they stood, with no alternative route mentioned in the report.
Debris still sliding at the site
The GBDMA said debris was still sliding at the site, and large obstructing boulders could not yet be removed. The continuing movement of rock and debris has kept the road closed, since clearance work cannot proceed safely while the slope above remains unstable.
Photographs from the site show massive grey boulders piled across the road surface, with loose rock and dust spread over the carriageway. The scale of the debris explains why a quick reopening was not possible.
Residents raise safety concerns
Local residents were concerned that safety measures had not been implemented on a road frequently blocked by landslides. They pointed to the route’s record of closures and the numerous fatal accidents associated with it, and questioned why lasting protection work had not been carried out.
The Roundu Valley stretch of the Baltistan Road runs through steep, slide-prone terrain, where heavy rockfalls can close the route without warning. For people living along the valley, each closure cuts access to Skardu and to Gilgit, and leaves travellers exposed on an unstable road.
Not the first blockage this month
The Shangus slide is not the first road closure in the region this month. Feature Pakistan earlier reported rain, snow and landslides closing Babusar Pass, after a landslide near Pissan killed two people. That closure also stranded tourists and disrupted travel through the northern routes.
Repeated closures on the region’s mountain roads underline how quickly a single slide can isolate communities and travellers. Each event tests the same clearance capacity, and each leaves the same question about longer-term slope protection.
What happens next on the Baltistan road
With debris still sliding, the large boulders could not yet be removed, so the road remained closed at the time of the report. Once the slope stabilises and the boulders are cleared, traffic can resume, but the GBDMA’s statement gives no timeline for reopening, and any estimate would depend on conditions at the site rather than on a fixed schedule.
Related coverage: Gilgit-Baltistan Rain, Snow and Landslides Close Babusar, GB Cabinet Approves Skardu Cadet College Worth Rs220m, and Skardu Airport Runway Closed for 13 Days.
Frequently asked questions
Where did the landslide happen?
The landslide blocked the Baltistan Road near Shangus in Skardu’s Roundu Valley, on the route between Gilgit and Skardu.
Is the road open now?
No. The GBDMA said the road was completely blocked and traffic suspended, with debris still sliding at the site.
Why can the boulders not be removed yet?
Large obstructing boulders could not yet be removed because debris was still sliding at the site, making clearance unsafe for the time being.
Has this road been blocked before?
Yes. Residents say the road is frequently blocked by landslides, and earlier this month a landslide near Pissan killed two people and shut Babusar Pass.
