35 dead in freak snowfall in Pakistan

At least 35 people have died and dozens injured in Pakistan from heavy snowfall and rain in the country’s northern and north-western region.

The widespread downpour has led to the collapse of houses and bridges, while major roads and rail routes are hit, especially in the country’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

“During the last five days, 35 people have died and 43 people have been injured as a result of accidents due to ongoing rains across the province,” the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa said in a statement. “Three hundred and forty-six houses were partially damaged, while 46 houses were completely damaged.”

Of the deceased, 25 are children, said the officials. One person was killed in Astore Valley in the country’s mountainous northern Gilgit-Baltista after being hit by falling debris during snowfall.

The main Karakoram Highway (KKH), Baltistan Road and other major highways connecting the region with other parts of the country are shut for the fourth day in a row as they are blocked due to heavy snowfall and rain-triggered landslides.

The authorities have mobilised heavy machinery to clear debris and restore traffic, as thousands of passengers and vehicles carrying heavy goods remain stranded.

Electricity, internet and mobile services have also been hit in the region, amid the extreme weather condition.

“Distribution of relief items underway including blankets, tents, jerry cans, gas cylinders, water coolers, mattresses, blankets, kitchen sets, hygiene kits, toilet kits, plastic mats, sandbags, tarpaulins,” the PDMA said, adding the CM had ordered “immediate steps” to reopen blocked roads.

However,  locals lashed out at the authorities for not making transport arrangements for patients, reported The Dawn.

Mushtaq Ali Shah, a former director of the country’s meteorological department, in an interview with the BBC expressed his surprise at the unseasonal snowfall in the region which is typically humid around this time of the year have attributes the unusual condition to climate change.

Another resident of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Hajit Shah told the outlet that he had experienced snow in his neighbourhood only once before. "As far as I can remember, there was light snowfall for a few minutes about 25 or 30 years ago," he told the BBC.