Skardu road closed: landslide at Shangus blocks Baltistan Road, thousands stranded, no traffic until at least Friday

The Skardu road is closed. A landslide near Shangus in Roundu Valley on Thursday morning, 22 October 2026, completely blocked Baltistan Road, the 167 km Jaglot-Skardu road, leaving thousands of passengers, including tourists, stranded on both sides, Dawn reported, citing the Gilgit-Baltistan Disaster Management Authority (GBDMA). No one was reported hurt.

What we know

• Where: near Shangus, Roundu Valley, between Jaglot (on the Karakoram Highway) and Skardu.
• Status: fully blocked; all traffic suspended. Debris was still sliding, GBDMA said.
• Reopening: the road stays closed at least until Friday 23 October. The boulders cannot be moved by machinery and have to be blasted; the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) is sending a blasting team.
• Warning: GBDMA told people not to try to cross the slide on foot because more rock could come down.

If you are travelling to or from Skardu

1. Do not set out for Skardu by road until the authorities say the road is open. GBDMA has asked people to avoid unnecessary travel.
2. Call the police helpline 15 before you leave for the latest on the road, as GBDMA advised.
3. If you are already on the road, stay at the nearest town or checkpoint rather than waiting at the slide, and keep enough fuel, water, food and warm clothes: October nights in Roundu are cold.
4. Hotel and tour bookings in Skardu, Shigar or Khaplu: ask your operator about moving the dates.

Why this road matters

Baltistan Road is the road link for the people of Skardu, Kharmang, Shigar and Ghanche, and for the tourists who drive to Deosai, Shigar and Khaplu. The rebuilt road was opened in 2021. Residents told Dawn that landslides on it are frequent, that crash barriers and warning signs are missing along long stretches, that mobile signal at checkpoints is weak, and they allege that the original design was not followed when it was rebuilt. The road has seen many fatal accidents.

We will update this story when the GBDMA or FWO announces the road is open. For the rest of the north, see our story on Gilgit-Baltistan's security rules for foreign visitors, and keep a check on fuel costs for the drive with the fuel cost calculator.