An avalanche in Pakistan and snowstorms in neighboring Afghanistan kill at least 20 people

Winter Storms Claim 20 Lives Across Pakistan and Afghanistan

Nine members of a single family perished in an avalanche in northwestern Pakistan on Friday, while a severe snowstorm in neighboring Afghanistan claimed 11 lives the previous day, officials reported. The disasters have also stranded thousands of tourists in Pakistan’s popular hill stations as the region grapples with hazardous winter conditions.

In Pakistan’s Chitral district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, emergency services personnel worked tirelessly for hours to recover the bodies of all nine victims, including four women, according to Bilal Faizi, a spokesperson for the emergency services.

The disaster coincided with the season’s first heavy snowfall, which has blocked multiple roads leading to Murree, a popular tourist destination approximately 60 kilometers northeast of Islamabad. The severe weather has prompted authorities to launch rescue operations to clear snow-covered roads and assist stranded visitors.

Islamabad’s district administration has issued advisories urging people to avoid traveling to Murree. All roads in the area have been closed to incoming traffic to facilitate the evacuation of those already trapped by the snow. Despite these warnings, hundreds of vehicles were caught in massive traffic jams on the outskirts of Islamabad, with some travelers reportedly arguing with police and insisting on proceeding toward Murree.

Officials revealed that dozens of vehicles parked outside hotels in Murree have been buried under heavy snowfall, complicating rescue efforts. Punjab province’s Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif announced that heavy machinery has been deployed to clear snow and assist tourists in the area.

The situation has heightened concerns among authorities who still recall the tragic events of January 2022, when at least 22 Pakistani tourists died, primarily from hypothermia, after becoming stranded in their vehicles during a severe snowstorm in Murree. Following that tragedy, Pakistan implemented stricter winter emergency measures in Murree and other northern regions of the country.

Across the border in Afghanistan, the situation is equally dire. Mohammad Yousuf Hammad, spokesman for Afghanistan’s disaster management agency, confirmed that freezing rain and snow have killed 11 people across six provinces. The severe weather has cut off roads and isolated towns and villages throughout the country.

Major transportation routes, including those connecting provincial capitals to villages in four provinces, have been rendered impassable by heavy snowfall. The Salang Pass, a crucial high-altitude crossing in the Hindu Kush mountain range that connects Kabul with northern provinces, has also been blocked.

Afghanistan’s disaster management agency reported that local officials have been instructed to “use all their resources to urgently reach affected people and provide food and non-food assistance.” The current crisis follows a deadly period in February of this year when heavy snowfall and rain claimed 36 lives in different parts of Afghanistan.

The twin disasters highlight the vulnerability of communities in the mountainous regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan to extreme winter weather. Climate experts have noted that while winter storms are common in these areas, their intensity and unpredictability have increased in recent years, possibly due to changing climate patterns.

As rescue operations continue in both countries, authorities are urging residents to take extra precautions and heed travel advisories during the winter season. The focus remains on reaching those stranded and preventing additional casualties as the harsh weather conditions persist.