.Avalanches, roadblocks disrupt life; rescue operations underway, more snow forecast
Tourists enjoy along a road as it snows heavily in Murree. Photo: AFP
ISLAMABAD:
Heavy snowfall has crippled daily life across large parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, cutting road links, knocking out electricity and communication networks and triggering a deadly avalanche in Lower Chitral that claimed nine lives, officials said on Friday.
Meanwhile, authorities warned that another spell of rain and snow is expected early next week under a fresh westerly system.
In Shangla district, heavy snowfall brought life to a standstill as both mountainous and plain areas were covered in snow.
Power supply, telephone services, internet connectivity and operation of local micro hydel power plants were completely disrupted. All major roads connecting Shangla with Swat and other adjoining districts were closed, leaving several areas isolated.
Batagram and its tehsil Allai saw record snowfall after eight years, with residents confined to their homes as roads became impassable and the power system collapsed.
The intense snowfall that began on Thursday night and continued till late Friday sharply increased the cold intensity across the district. Peripheral areas including the Chattar Plain were also badly affected, seriously disrupting routine life.
The human toll was most severe in Lower Chitral, where an avalanche hit a house in the Domel area of Drosh Arandu, killing nine people, including four women and five men, and critically injuring a child.
Rescue teams, district administration officials and local residents rushed to the spot while Pakistan Army and Rescue 1122 assisted in the operation.
Despite severe weather and difficult terrain, rescuers retrieved all bodies from the snow debris. The injured child received immediate medical attention and was shifted to a nearby hospital while the deceased were transported to their native village in Drosh Wardab.
Rescue officials acknowledged that heavy snowfall hampered operations, but said timely action ensured the completion of rescue efforts.
Meanwhile, the city of Abbottabad received its first snowfall in nine years, while Thandiyani recorded nearly four feet of snow. Nathia Gali, Donga Gali, Ayubia, Changla Gali and the surrounding hilly areas experienced the heaviest snowfall of between three and four feet, further straining infrastructure and mobility across the region.
Authorities have urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel and remain vigilant as weather conditions remain severe in the upper districts.
Rescue operations
The worst affected areas included Tirah Valley in Khyber district, Shangla, Lower Chitral and Murree, where snowfall blocked roads, cut power and complicated the movement of both residents and displaced families.
Rescue teams were deployed in several places as the provincial authorities, the military and district administrations struggled to respond to emergencies amid worsening weather conditions.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Faizi said on Friday that a massive rescue operation was underway to help people affected by heavy snowfall in Tirah Valley and adjoining areas.
“The operation is underway in Tirah Valley, Painda Cheena, Dawatoi and Bagh Maidan as per the instructions of the Director General of Rescue 1122,” he said in a statement, adding that 23 operational vehicles and more than 100 rescue personnel participated in the operation.
In an update, Rescue 1122 said 50 stranded vehicles and around 100 affected people had been rescued from Tirah. “The affected people have been shifted to safer places and the rescue operation is underway,” the statement said.
The snowfall compounded hardships for the residents of Tirah, who had already started evacuating their homes amid a planned military operation against militants in the restive valley.
Hundreds of displaced families were stranded on the roads on Thursday due to delays in the registration process, which was suspended later in the evening as snowfall intensified.
A statement issued by the Khyber Deputy Commissioner’s office on Friday said that following directives from Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, efforts were on to shift IDPs stranded due to snowfall to safer places.
“The stranded families were shifted to Painda Cheena School and hostel and a consignment of relief goods was also delivered at the site during the night,” the statement said, adding that all families were given blankets while children received sweaters and other essential items.
According to the DC office, relief operations continued from Nangrosa to Dawatoi and from Dawatoi to Bagh Maidan, with Rescue 1122 teams evacuating women and children first, followed by men. Rescue and relief operations continued late into the night to ensure all families were safely relocated.
On Thursday evening, CM Afridi said the people of Tirah were stranded due to “forced evacuation” and assured that district administrations and provincial resources were being mobilized to help them.
“The district administration as well as the entire province’s resources are being used to help them. People are trapped in about three places,” he said, adding that some families were moved to nearby homes and designated places.
Noting that communication with some stranded people remained difficult due to blocked roads and lack of mobile signal, he said he was personally monitoring rescue efforts.
Life was disrupted in Shangla, Murree
Meanwhile, heavy snowfall in Shangla district blocked major roads, including the Karakoram Highway, and disrupted electricity supply over large areas.
According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), snowfall was reported in most northern districts of the province from Thursday night to Friday morning, leading to road blocks in several areas.
There were efforts to reopen key routes, it said.
Bakht Alam Khan, tehsil council chairman of Chakesar, said the community had prayed for snowfall after a prolonged dry spell that had severely affected agriculture and exacerbated water shortages. He said while road closures were temporary, the snowfall would help replenish water resources.
In Murree, snowfall began on Thursday evening with some areas receiving up to two feet of snow. Up to 14 inches of snow was recorded in the Sunny Bank area, while Galliyat and northern parts of the city saw heavier accumulation.
Murree Deputy Commissioner Agha Zaheer Shirazi said that restrictions had been placed on the entry of vehicles into the city due to the weather conditions. However, no roads were closed and tourists already present could move within the city.
He said the district administration was closely monitoring the situation. Some vehicles stuck at Chitta Mor and near Mussiaree on the Murree Expressway were later rescued.
More rain, snow forecast
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Meteorological Department warned that another spell of rain and snowfall is expected from Sunday evening to Tuesday under the influence of a westerly wave.
“A westerly wave is likely to approach the western parts of the country on January 25 (Sunday) and is likely to grip the upper parts of the country on January 26,” the Met Office said.
Under its influence, rain, wind and thundershowers with snowfall are expected in several parts of Balochistan, upper Sindh, Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, including Murree, Galliyat, Islamabad and Rawalpindi, between January 26 and 27 with occasional gaps.
