Snow covers roads, vehicles and trees in Galiyat, Abbottabad, pushing temperatures below zero. Photo: PPI
ISLAMABAD:
Heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures have paralyzed life in Pakistan’s upper regions, leaving roads blocked, tourists stranded and rescue operations underway, as the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) warned that another westerly weather system would bring further rain and snowfall from Sunday evening (today) to Tuesday.
According to the PMD, a new westerly wave is expected to enter the western parts of the country on January 25 and spread to the upper regions on January 26, triggering rain, wind and thundershowers in the plains and snowfall in mountainous areas.
Authorities across KP, GB, Kashmir, northern Balochistan and Punjab have been put on high alert amid fears of road closures, landslides and avalanches.
Meanwhile, life has already been severely disrupted by the ongoing period of extreme weather. In several incidents linked to snow and slippery conditions, at least two people lost their lives while dozens were injured in road accidents, especially in Balochistan.
In the country’s upper regions, heavy snowfall has blocked key highways and cut off remote communities, leaving residents and tourists alike stranded.
In northern Balochistan, a blizzard continues to hit the upper districts, with scores of vehicles stranded on the Quetta-Ziarat highway, while over 100 tourists remained trapped in vehicles in and around Chaman.
Traffic on the N-50 highway was suspended at several points, disrupting inter-provincial travel. Due to heavy snow and black ice, nine separate accidents were reported on the N-50, injuring 27 people.
On Kojak Top, freezing Siberian winds pushed temperatures down to minus 12 degrees Celsius, greatly intensifying the cold. Near Shela Bagh, several vehicles collided due to slippery conditions, leaving two people dead and seven injured.
In Balochistan, temperatures dropped to minus 12 degrees Celsius, freezing running water and water pipelines in Quetta, Kalat, Chaman and Ziarat, triggering an acute shortage of drinking water. Despite the snowfall decreasing, intense cold and Siberian winds continue.
Quetta also recorded its first snowfall of the season, compounding cold-related hardships in urban areas.
Water froze in ponds, on roads and in open areas, while the Quetta-Ziarat highway remained snow-covered at several points. Authorities imposed a 24-hour ban on tourist travel to Ziarat, while the N-50 Zhob highway remained closed in several places.
Meanwhile, rains with strong winds and thundershowers are expected in Balochistan during the night between January 25 and January 26, while upper Sindh may also receive rain on January 26, according to PMD.
From January 26 to 27, rain and snowfall is expected in GB, Kashmir, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Kohistan, Murree and Galiyat, with intermittent gaps.
Several districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including Mansehra, Upper Galiyat, Shangla, Lower Dir, Mohmand, Orakzai, Kalam, Chitral and Khyber experienced heavy snowfall.
In the Tirah Valley, rain and snow left around 100 vehicles stranded while 35 people were moved to safer places.
Rescue 1122 teams continued their operations in snow-hit areas of Tirah Valley and rescued stranded people and vehicles. About 55 people traveling in 20 vehicles were rescued at Sandana, with teams from Khyber, Peshawar, Swabi and Nowshera participating.
