ISLAMABAD, Aug. 8 -- A major portion of the Karakoram Highway in Upper Hunza was swept away by intense flooding from the Hunza River, cutting off the only land route between Pakistan and China. Dozens of tourists visiting the Pak-China border are stranded due to the road collapse.

According to Gilgit-Baltistan government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq, the highway near the village of Morkhun was severely damaged by river erosion. As a result, all ground movement between the two countries has come to a halt. Emergency teams have been dispatched, and efforts are underway to restore the critical route.

He said the flood was triggered by rapid glacier melt, causing the river to swell beyond normal levels. Heavy water flow eroded the roadbed, ...