Snowfall strands buses and trucks at Khunjerab Pass

Heavy snowfall at Khunjerab Pass has stopped traffic on the Karakoram Highway between Sost and the Pakistan-China border gate, stranding buses, private cars and cargo trucks in sub-zero temperatures, according to a report by The Traveler published on 14 November.

The outlet reported that snow and rain over the previous 24 hours had left ice on the road and cut visibility on the final approach to the pass, which sits above 4,600 metres. At least three container trucks skidded off the road after losing traction. The report said their drivers were rescued and no one was killed.

Vehicles heading north from Sost, the last Pakistani town before the border, came to a standstill for hours. Travellers on day trips from Hunza and cross-border traders waited in queues while road crews worked on the surface near Khunjerab Top.

The Traveler's account named no rescue agency, district administration official or road maintenance department, and gave no figure for the number of vehicles or people stuck. It described its information as reports from Gilgit-Baltistan and publicly available road-status updates.

Road-status dashboards that day still listed the main Karakoram Highway as open overall, with warnings about weather disruption at higher elevations, the outlet reported. Photographs circulating on news and social platforms showed trucks, buses and cars lined up on a snow-covered roadway with engines running for heat, and some travellers turned back towards Sost when the road allowed.

The snowfall follows days of colder, unsettled weather across Gilgit-Baltistan. Babusar Pass, which links the Kaghan Valley to Chilas, has already closed to traffic, pushing more buses and private vehicles onto the longer Karakoram Highway. Forecasts had warned of fresh snow on high passes.

Khunjerab is the highest paved international border crossing in the world and the northern end of the N-35. It is the only road crossing between Pakistan and China, joining National Highway 314 in Xinjiang. Pakistan and China have moved towards year-round operations there in recent years, but travel advisories warn that snow, ice and avalanches can force short-notice closures from late autumn into early spring.

The report said crews were working to make the surface near Khunjerab Top passable and to recover stranded vehicles. Winter blockages on the highway are usually short, it added, though their timing around holidays in Pakistan or China affects the movement of goods and tourists.