SHANGLA: A suspension bridge in Ranyal area was damaged when a heavy vehicle stuck in it after one of its planks was broken, disconnecting several villages` link to rest of the Shangla district.

According to locals, the 200-meter-long wooden bridge on Khan Khwar was damaged when a loaded vehicle was crossing it.

They said road link of Ranyal, Sangrai, Chichlo to other parts of the district had been disconnected.Sarfaraz Khan, district councillor from Ranyal ward, said the bridge collapsed for the fourth time.

He said bridges in Ranyal and Sasoobay area were destroyed in 2010 flash floods, but their reconstruction was still awaited.

He said suspension bridges could not withstand heavy and loaded vehicles.

Mohammad Room, a councillor, said the Ranyal bridge was the lone source for crossing the Khan Khwar.

He said residents of hilly areas had been cut off from rest of the district due to damage to the bridge.

The councillor urgedthe contractor to expedite work on the underconstruction concrete bridge.

Shah Alam, a village nazim from Sangrai, told Dawn that local people had started repairing the damaged wooden bridge.

MOBILE CLINIC: Focal person on board of investment and trade, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Nawaz Mehmood Khan has claimed that a mobile clinic has been approvedfor Shangla.

Talking to reporters on Sunday, he said the mobile clinic was approved during his meeting with minister for health Hasham Inamullah. He said the clinic would behanded over to the district health department soon.

He said the mobile clinic would have doctor`s room, laboratory, X-Ray room, blood lab, ultrasound and pharmacy.