Snow covers roads, vehicles and trees in Galiyat, Abbottabad, pushing temperatures below zero. Photo: PPI
ISLAMABAD:
Heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures have brought life to a standstill 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 more rain and snowfall from Sunday night (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, bringing rain, winds and thunderstorms in the plains and snowfall in the mountainous areas.
Authorities in 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 current period of extreme weather. In multiple incidents related to snow and slippery conditions, at least two people lost their lives while dozens were injured in road accidents, especially in Balochistan.
In the upper regions of the country, heavy snowfall has blocked key roads and isolated remote communities, stranding residents and tourists alike.
In northern Balochistan, a snowstorm continues to lash the upper districts, with dozens of vehicles stranded on the Quetta-Ziarat highway, while more than 100 tourists remained stuck in vehicles in and around Chaman.
Traffic on the N-50 highway has been suspended at several points, disrupting interprovincial travel. Due to heavy snowfall and black ice, nine different accidents were recorded on the N-50, in which 27 people were injured.
On Kojak Top, frigid Siberian winds dropped temperatures to -12 degrees Celsius, dramatically intensifying the cold. Near Shela Bagh, several vehicles collided due to slippery conditions, leaving two dead and seven injured.
In Balochistan, temperatures dropped to -12 degrees Celsius, freezing tap water and water pipes in Quetta, Kalat, Chaman and Ziarat, leading to severe shortage of drinking water. Although the snowfall has decreased, the intense cold and Siberian winds persist.
Quetta also recorded its first snowfall of the season, compounding cold-related difficulties in urban areas.
Water froze in ponds, roads and open areas, while the Quetta-Ziarat highway remained covered with snow at several points. Authorities imposed a 24-hour ban on tourist travel to Ziarat, while the N-50 Zhob highway remained blocked in several places.
Meanwhile, according to the PMD, rain with strong winds and thunderstorm is expected in Balochistan during the night of January 25 and 26, while upper Sindh may also receive rain on January 26.
From January 26 to 27, rain and snowfall are expected in GB, Kashmir, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Kohistan, Murree and Galiyat at intermittent intervals.
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 about 100 vehicles stranded, while 35 people were moved to safer places.
The 1122 rescue teams continued their operations in the snow-affected areas of the Tirah Valley, rescuing stranded people and vehicles. Around 55 people traveling in 20 vehicles were rescued in Sandana, with the participation of teams from Khyber, Peshawar, Swabi and Nowshera.
