Severe winter spell claims 93 lives
islamabad — At least 93 people were killed in snowfall and rainrelated incidents in Pakistan over the last three days, while the number of injured was estimated to be 76, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said on Tuesday.
An increase in the death toll is anticipated by the authority, reported Dawn.
According to the NDMA, rains in Balochistan have claimed 15 lives and have injured 11 others.
Azad Kashmir was the worstaffected area, with 62 deaths in the past 24 hours, said Waseem Uddin, a spokesman for Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority.
Among those fatalities, 41 died in a single avalanche in the Neelum Valley while 21 people died in elsewhere in the region, he said.
Authorities have shuttered schools, while several highways and roads were closed across the country’s northern mountainous areas, according to officials.
Also badly affected by heavy snowfall is southwestern Balochistan province, where 20 people died, said Waseem, adding that some parts in the province was under six inches of snow. Twelve people were also killed in weather-related incidents in Punjab province.
According to the NDMA, four injured have been rescued while work is currently under way to rescue the remaining people.
Major thoroughfares in Balochistan, including Bolan Road, Khanozai Road and Quetta-Chaman Road have been closed for the time being, the NDMA said. It added that the most snowfall recorded in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province was at Lowari Approach Road at a whopping 23 inches.
Hundreds of passengers, including women and children, were stuck in harsh weather as massive snowstorm hit different parts of Balochistan on Monday.
Relief, Disaster and Civil Defence Secretary Syed Shahid
Mohyiddin Qadri told Dawn that heavy snowfall and rains had blocked several arteries in high altitude areas in AJK.
“Neelum Valley Road, Leepa Valley Road, Chikar-Bagh Road, Bagh-Lasdana Road, Mehmood Galli-Abbaspur Road and Tain Dhalkot Road were all closed for traffic,” he said.
People, particularly tourists, have been advised to avoid unnecessary travel in snowbound and landslideprone areas during the prevailing weather conditions.
Key highways connecting Pakistan and Afghanistan were blocked because of heavy snow, forcing officials to suspend transportation of essential goods into Afghanistan. —
The severe snowfalls and landslides in AJK have caused misery & deaths. I have asked the NDMA, the military & all our federal ministers to immediately provide all humanitarian assistance to the affected people in AJK.
Imran Khan @ImranKhanPTI