Avalanches and road closures disrupt life; Rescue operations underway, more snow forecast
Tourists enjoy themselves along a road while it snows heavily in Murree. Photo: AFP
ISLAMABAD:
A powerful snowfall has paralyzed daily life in much of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, cutting road connections, disrupting power and communication networks and triggering a deadly avalanche in Lower Chitral that claimed nine lives, officials said on Friday.
Meanwhile, officials warned that another wave of rain and snow is expected early next week under a new westerly system.
In Shangla district, heavy snowfall brought life to a complete standstill and both mountainous and plain areas were covered in snow.
Power supply, telephone services, internet connectivity and the operation of local micro power plants were completely disrupted. All major roads linking Shangla to Swat and other adjacent districts were closed, leaving several areas isolated.
Batagram and its tehsil Allai witnessed record snowfall after eight years, and residents were confined to their homes as roads became impassable and the power system collapsed.
Heavy snowfall that started on Thursday night and continued till Friday night considerably increased the intensity of cold across the district. Outlying areas, including Chattar Plain, were also severely affected, severely disrupting daily life.
The human cost 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 seriously 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 the bad weather and difficult terrain, rescuers recovered all the bodies from the snow debris. The injured boy received immediate medical assistance and was shifted to a nearby hospital, while the deceased were transported to their native village in Drosh Wardab.
Rescue officials acknowledged that heavy snow hampered operations, but said timely action ensured the completion of rescue efforts.
Meanwhile, Abbottabad city received its first snowfall in nine years, while Thandiyani recorded nearly four feet of snow. Nathia Gali, Donga Gali, Ayubia, Changla Gali and surrounding mountainous areas experienced the heaviest snowfall of between three and four feet, further testing infrastructure and mobility across the region.
Authorities have urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel and remain alert as weather conditions remain severe in the upper districts.
rescue operations
The worst affected areas included the Tirah Valley in Khyber district, Shangla, Lower Chitral and Murree, where snowfall blocked roads, cut power supply and complicated the movement of both residents and displaced families.
Rescue teams were deployed at multiple locations as provincial authorities, the military and district administrations rushed to respond to emergencies amid deteriorating weather conditions.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Faizi said on Friday that a comprehensive rescue operation was being carried out 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 directives of the Director General of Rescue 1122,” it said in a statement, adding that 23 operational vehicles and over 100 rescue personnel are involved 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 moved to safer places and the rescue operation continues,” the statement said.
The snowfall compounded difficulties for Tirah residents who had already begun evacuating their homes amid a planned military operation against militants in the restive valley.
Hundreds of displaced families were stranded on roads Thursday due to delays in the registration process, which was suspended later that night as snowfall intensified.
A statement issued by the Khyber deputy commissioner’s office on Friday said that following the directives of Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, efforts were being made to shift IDPs stranded due to snowfall to safer places.
“The stranded families were shifted to the school and Painda Cheena shelter, and a consignment of relief goods was also delivered to the site overnight,” the statement said, adding that all families were provided with blankets while children were provided with sweaters and other essential items.
According to the DC office, relief activities 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 transported safely.
On Thursday night, 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 resources of the entire province are being used to help them. People are trapped in about three places,” he said, adding that some families were being shifted to nearby houses and designated places.
He noted that communication with some stranded people remained difficult due to blocked roads and a lack of mobile signals, and said he was personally monitoring rescue efforts.
Upset life in Shangla, Murree
Meanwhile, heavy snowfall in Shangla district blocked major roads, including the Karakoram Highway, and disrupted power supply to large areas.
According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), snowfall was recorded in most northern districts of the province from Thursday night to Friday morning, leading to road blockages in several areas.
Efforts are underway to reopen key routes, he said.
Bakht Alam Khan, president of Chakesar tehsil council, said the community had been praying for snow after a prolonged drought severely affected agriculture and worsened water shortages. He said that while the road closures were temporary, the snowfall would help replenish water resources.
In Murree, snowfall began on Thursday night 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 experienced heavier accumulation.
Murree Deputy Commissioner Agha Zaheer Shirazi said restrictions had been imposed on vehicles entering the city due to weather conditions. However, no roads were closed and the tourists who were already present were able to circulate within the city.
He said the district administration was closely monitoring the situation. Some vehicles that got stuck at Chitta Mor and near Mussiaree on Murree Highway were later rescued.
More rain and snow forecast
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Meteorological Department warned that another spell of rain and snowfall is expected from Sunday night to Tuesday under the influence of a westerly wave.
“A westerly wave is likely to approach western parts of the country on January 25 (Sunday) and is likely to take over the upper parts of the country on January 26,” the Met Office said.
Under its influence, rain, wind and thunderstorm 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 intervals.
