Vehicles isolated on a road in heavy snow in northern Pakistan. [사진 = 둔야뉴스 방송 화면 캡처]Heavy snowfall in the northern highlands of Pakistan has left thousands of vehicles isolated and more than 20 tourists frozen in their cars.
According to local media such as DAWN on the 8th (local time), thousands of vehicles were unable to move due to heavy snow the day before on a road near Murri, a highland tourist destination in Punjab, 70 km north of Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.
The accident on that day became the cause of people flocking to Murri to enjoy the snow scene. In the process, more than 120,000 vehicles entered Murri, a small town with a population of 26,000, for several days, and serious congestion occurred on the outskirts of the road.
In the event of an emergency, Murri authorities controlled the vehicle’s entry. In addition, as the heavy snow continued, thousands of cars were unable to get out and were stuck on the road. Thousands of tourists, including children and women, were forced to stay in their cars and spend the night in the freezing cold, down to minus 8 degrees Celsius.
Rescue authorities in Pakistan said at least 20 people, including nine children, were frozen. Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid announced that 16 to 19 people were killed in the car, all of them tourists.
It is known that several vehicles are still isolated. A high-ranking official from the neighboring city of Rawalpindi said, “About 2,300 vehicles have been evacuated, but regarding 1,000 are still unable to travel.”
The federal government dispatched soldiers to the area to provide emergency rescue, and the Punjab government declared the area near Murri a disaster zone. Residents near the road even delivered blankets and food for tourists who were shivering in the cold.
The problem is that strong winds and blizzards are predicted for this night as well. Local media reported that some cars were completely buried in the snow, which might increase the number of victims.
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