Temperatures fell to minus 8 levels Celsius (17.6 Fahrenheit) amid heavy snowfall at Pakistan’s mountain resort city of Murree in a single day, killing at the very least 22 individuals who have been caught of their automobiles, officers stated Saturday.
Atiq Ahmed, an Islamabad police officer, stated eight of the 22 fatalities have been from the household of fellow police officer Naveed Iqbal, who additionally died. Many of the victims died of hypothermia, officers stated.
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Rescue companies doctor Abdur Rehman stated that after evacuating all the stranded vacationers from their automobiles, the loss of life toll stood at 22, together with 10 males, 10 youngsters and two ladies.
Inside Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed stated hundreds of automobiles had been pulled from the snow however greater than a thousand have been nonetheless caught within the space Saturday.
Positioned 28 miles (45.5 kilometers) north of the capital of Islamabad, Murree is a well-liked winter resort that pulls nicely over one million vacationers yearly. Streets main into town are sometimes blocked by snow in winter.
Ahmed, the inside minister, stated greater than 4 ft (1.2 meters) of snow fell within the space in a single day and all incoming visitors was blocked Saturday. The minister stated paramilitary troops and a particular army mountain unit had been known as in to assist.
“Till then no automobile and even individuals on foot are allowed to enter Murree apart from the emergency and rescue automobiles and people bringing meals for the caught individuals,” he stated.
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Umar Maqbool, an area administrator, stated the heavy snowfall hampered rescue efforts throughout the evening and even heavy tools introduced in to clear the snow acquired caught initially.
Officers gave no additional particulars about those that died of their snowed-in automobiles however stated they have been engaged on each restoration and rescue operations. Maqbool stated meals and blankets have been distributed to the caught vacationers throughout the evening.
Most streets resulting in the world’s resorts have been largely cleared of snow later Saturday however some work was nonetheless being carried out, Maqbool stated. Army troops and machines have been working to clear all of the streets and the army established reduction camps at military run faculties that supplied shelter and meals.
Related Press author Asim Tanveer in Islamabad contributed to this report.
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