A landslide in the Patan Dak area of Lower Kohistan has blocked the Karakoram Highway for all types of traffic, temporarily cutting the main road link between Pakistan and China and stranding hundreds of travelers and tourists, according to local police.

The closure has stopped vehicles traveling from different parts of the country to Gilgit-Baltistan, while tourists heading to northern Pakistan and the Pakistan-China border have also been affected.

Authorities said those stranded include women, children, elderly passengers and students, many of whom have been waiting for hours for the highway to reopen.

Some travelers tried to create a narrow passage to allow small vehicles through, but traffic could not be restored because of the scale of the landslide, police said.

The blockage has led to long queues of cargo trucks and other vehicles on both sides of the highway, disrupting local traffic as well as cross-border trade and freight movement between Pakistan and China.

Police said relevant authorities have been mobilized to clear debris from the road, and restoration work is underway to reopen the strategic route as quickly as possible.

Officials urged the public to avoid unnecessary travel and advised commuters to check road conditions before setting out on journeys along the Karakoram Highway.