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Hilly areas in Hazara

receive snowfall, rain

ABBOTTABAD: Almost two months long dry spell ended in Hazara on Tuesday when hilly areas of the division received heavy to moderate snowfall and plains received rain.

Rain in Abbottabad city started in the early hours of Tuesday which continued throughout the day with short intervals.

Galiyat first heavy snowfall of the season on Tuesday as snow flakes started to fall in the morning which resulted into closure of almost all link roads in Galiyat. Mirza Jani, Nathiagali, Changlagali, Ayubia, Kalabagh, Baragali and Thandiani received 8 to 18 inches of snowfall till 1400 hours and snow continued to fall in the late afternoon.

Hills surrounding Abbottabad also wore while sheet of snowfall. Upper parts of Sarban Hill received 4 to 6 inches of snowfall. Reports from Galiyat said that all link roads in the area have been closed due to heavy snowfall.

According to reports, Kaghan Valley also received heaviest snowfall and road leading to Naran at Mahandri remained closed for all types of vehicles, Mansehra, Battagram and Haripur received rain on the third day of Eid (Tuesday).

Earlier on Sunday morning parts of Abbottabad and Haripur districts had received light drizzle.

Due to prolonged dry spell fire had also broken out in the forests of Galiyat. Fire was reported in the forests of Beerangali, Baragali, and Jaster fire ranges. An official of Forest department told APP that some miscreants put on fire the dried pine needles and later fire spread to other parts of the forests. Hundreds of thousands of pine sapling were destroyed due to fire.

Locals, however, claimed that forests were deliberately set on fire by the members of Timber Mafia to eliminate the evidence of illegal wood cutting. The fire which continued for more than a week has caused damaged to the tune of millions of rupees.ÑAPP