At least 22 people, including women and children, froze to death in their cars stranded in snow in Murree amid a glut of tourist influx despite a warning issued by the Pakistan Meteorological Department a day ago.
The incident forced the authorities to declare the area calamity-hit on Saturday, as heavy snowfall is predicted in Murree and Galyat until January 9. Television footage and video clips circulating on the social media showed thousands of cars loaded with tourists still stuck on the routes leading to the hill station, hours after Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar issued instructions to expedite rescue work and provide aid to the stranded tourists.
Later in the evening, Buzdar tweeted that all those stranded had been moved to government rest houses and hotels, adding that they were being provided with food, medicines, blankets and other essentials.
Meanwhile, entry of cars into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Galyat was banned, according to the province’s chief minister.
A list issued by Rescue 1122 said 22 people died, including 10 children. The deceased include an assistant sub-inspector of Islamabad police and seven members of his family.
Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, in a video message, said tourists had flocked the hill station in such large numbers “for the first time in 15 to 20 years, which created a big crisis”.
He said Rawalpindi and Islamabad administrations, along with police, had been working to rescue those stranded, while five platoons of the Pakistan Army, as well as Rangers and Frontier Corps, were called in. The minister said that around 1,000 cars were stuck on the hill station, and that Murree residents provided food and blankets to stranded tourists.
Meanwhile, Buzdar imposed a state of emergency in hospitals, police stations, administration offices and Rescue 1122.
He also expressed sorrow over the death of people stuck in the snow.
More than 23,000 cars were evacuated from the area the night before and the rescue operation was going on, he said in a tweet. He appealed to people to strictly follow instructions given by the police and district administration and cooperate with them.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Army troops reached Murree to help with the rescue work. In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said army engineers also reached the area to help open up the main highways.
The military’s media wing later said that its engineers had cleared Murree Expressway. In the evening, the ISPR said all stranded people will be shifted to five relief camps set up by the army in Murree.
Separately, KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan said in a statement that entry of cars into Galyat has been banned, adding that no untoward accident had occurred in the area where three feet of snow fell a day earlier.
Prime Minister Imran Khan also expressed sorrow and regret over the deaths in Murree, and ordered an inquiry and regulations to avert such tragedies in the future.
In a tweet, the PM acknowledged that the district administration was “caught unprepared” due to “unprecedented snowfall and rush of people proceeding without checking weather conditions”. “[I] have ordered an inquiry and putting in place strong regulation to ensure prevention of such tragedies.”
Earlier, Minister for Information Chaudhry Fawad Hussain appealed to people not to visit the hill station.
“A large crowd [is headed towards] Murree and hilly areas. Hundreds of thousands of cars are travelling to these areas. It is impossible for the local administration to provide facilities to people in such a large number,” he tweeted. He urged intending travellers to delay their plans to the areas for some time.
Meanwhile, the hotels association announced free stay and food for tourists stranded in Murree. In a statement, the association also criticised the interior minister’s notification of shutting down Murree, saying it had spread fear and panic among the people.
