Gilan bridge collapse causes travel difficulties — Pajhwok

GHAZNI CITY (Pajhwok): Residents of Hasan area in Gilan district of southern Ghazni and drivers using the Tarnak River route say the collapse of the Ghazikhel Bridge in recent floods has caused difficulties for thousands of people, urging authorities to rebuild it before winter. Mohammad Kashmir, a resident of Hasan area, told Pajhwok that the Ghazikhel Bridge had been an important route for local residents for years but was completely destroyed by recent floods. He said around 80 villages in lower Gilan, home to thousands of families, use the bridge for transportation. Residents of Nawah district in Ghazni, Dila and Wazi Khwa districts in Paktika, and Now Bahar and Shamalzai districts in Zabul also largely use the route, he added. Kashmir warned that residents of the affected areas would face greater difficulties if the bridge was not rebuilt before winter. Another resident, Mohammad Hanif, said the bridge’s collapse had disrupted daily life, with travellers sometimes forced to wait for hours on both sides of the river during floods. “When floodwaters rise, people wait for hours, and sometimes travellers are forced to spend the night here. Patients also cannot reach health facilities and markets on time,” he said. He added that recent floods had also damaged several bridges, roads and other public infrastructure along the river, with the Ghazikhel Bridge among…