SHANGLA: A road linking Bisham city to Khataksar area remained closed for traffic on the fourth consecutive day on Wednesday due to heavy landslides, forcing people to walk to their destinations.

`We are forced to shift patients to hospital in beds and students have to walk to schools due to closure of the road,` Jehanzeb, a local, told this correspondent.

He said the road was used by the residents of Khait, Khataksar, Shaw, Molsar and Jai to reach Bisham, but the recent rains had badly damaged it at various points.

Khurshed Ali, another local, said whenever the road was closed local people reopened it on self-help basis. He said the road was about to be blacktopped, but unfortunately the rain damaged it.

Hakimullah demanded of the district administration to take steps for restoration of the road.

When contacted, district nazim Niaz Ahmed Khan told Dawn that his government did not have funds for clearing the road of landslides. Ihsanullah Khan, thecontractor, said the road was near completion, but recent rains heavily damaged it. However, he said work on the road would start soon.

STUDENT TORTURED: A teacher allegedly tortured a third grade student in government primary school, Butyal Bisham, fracturing his wrist.

The student`s father told mediapersons on Wednesday that his son was shifted to tehsil headquarters hospital, Bisham, for bandage. He said the doctors told him that his wrist had fractured.

The man said his son was punished for being absent from school for one day.

`The teacher later came to my house to apologise but I want such kind of punishment in schools stopped.

If the authorities don not move against the teacher he will register an FIR against the accused,` he warned.

BOY DROWNS: A young boy drowned in the Indus River on Wednesday.

Locals informed mediapersons that a boy identified as Dost Mohammad of Serawar area drowned while taking bath in the river. They said local divers had yet to fish out his body.