Islamabad – Temperatures dropped to 17.6 degrees Fahrenheit amid a heavy overnight snowfall in the town of Murree, a mountain resort town in Pakistan, and at least 22 people who were trapped in their vehicles were killed, authorities said Saturday.
Eight of the fatalities belonged to the family of Naveed Iqba, an Islamabad policeman, who was also killed, explained one of his colleagues, Atiq Ahmed. All of the victims died of hypothermia, authorities added.
After evacuating all the tourists stranded in their cars, the total death toll was 22 people, including 10 men, 10 children and two women, said Abdur Rehman, a doctor with the rescue services.
Thousands of vehicles were pulled out of the snow, but more than a thousand were still stuck in the area on Saturday, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed explained.
Located 28 miles from the capital Islamabad, Murree is a popular winter resort that receives more than a million tourists a year. During winter, access roads are often blocked by snow.
The snowfall surpassed 4 feet in height in the area overnight, and all access traffic was paralyzed on Saturday.Ahmed added, noting that help has been requested from paramilitary troops and a special mountain unit of the army.
“Until then, no vehicle or foot is allowed into Murree, except for emergency and rescue vehicles and those bringing food to trapped people,” he said.
Umar Maqbool, a local official, said that heavy snowfall hampered rescue efforts overnight and that even heavy equipment brought to the area to clear snow was stopped at first.
Authorities did not offer further details regarding those killed in the cars, but said they were working in both search and rescue operations.. Stranded tourists received blankets and food overnight, Maqbool said.
Most of the roads leading to the area’s resorts were largely cleared of snow later Saturday, although work continued, the official added. Soldiers and machinery tried to clean all the streets and the army set up camps in military schools to provide shelter and food.
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