9 of family die in avalanche in northwest Pakistan, heavy snowfall severely affects everyday life
Heavy snowfall leads to tragic deaths in several remote regions in Pakistan
At least nine members of a family died when an avalanche buried their house in northwest Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as heavy snowfall blanketed several regions of the country.
Avalanches triggered by snowfall on Friday brought life to a standstill across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), blocking roads, stranding travellers and disrupting electricity and relief operations amid freezing temperatures, the Dawn newspaper reported.
An avalanche struck a house in Damil area in Serigal village in the extreme south of Chitral district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Friday afternoon.
Deputy Commissioner Hashim Azim said the bodies were recovered from the debris, while a nine-year-old boy survived and was rushed to hospital.
Officials said the avalanche was triggered after the area received over 20 inches of snowfall, with a huge mass of snow sliding down and hitting the isolated house in the sparsely populated mountainous village.
The deceased were identified as Bacha Khan, his wife, three sons, two daughters and two daughters-in-law. They were reportedly dining in the central room of the house when the avalanche struck.
Snowfall continued uninterrupted for more than 36 hours across the Chitral valley, from Arandu to Broghil, severely disrupting daily life.
Vehicular traffic was suspended on several roads where thousands of passengers remained stranded for around 18 hours before traffic was restored on Friday evening after snow clearance.
Large parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa received heavy rain and snowfall during the ongoing weather spell, resulting in road blockages, suspension of power supply and extreme cold.
In its Khyber district, a large number of displaced families returning from Tirah were stranded amid a snowstorm.
Rescue 1122 said an operation was underway in Tirah Valley, Painda Cheena, Dawatoi and Bagh Maidan.
Meanwhile, fresh snowfall across Gilgit-Baltistan on Friday further worsened conditions in the region.
Major roads, including the Karakoram Highway (KKH), Baltistan Highway and Ghizer-Shandur Road, were blocked at multiple locations due to heavy snowfall, avalanches and landslides.
The Kohistan administration cleared parts of the KKH and arranged food and temporary accommodation for stranded passengers.
Authorities said heavy snowfall cut off several communities from road access, while prolonged power outages of over 20 hours were reported in upper areas, forcing residents to struggle for firewood and heating.
Heavy rain accompanied by a hailstorm lashed the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Friday.
Biting cold continued to grip Quetta, capital of Balochistan and several other districts of the province, severely disrupting daily life.
Residents of Quetta experienced the coldest night, with temperature dropping to 13 degrees Celsius on Thursday.
Water supply through Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) tube wells was suspended after pipelines burst due to sub-zero temperatures and power outages in various parts of the provincial capital and its surrounding areas.
Meanwhile, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority carried out a timely rescue operation near Muslim Bagh, safely evacuating 17 stranded people, including 14 women and children, who were trapped on a road due to severe weather conditions.
