At least 21 people were trapped inside their vehicles in a massive traffic jam caused by tens of thousands of visitors who came to see an unusual snowstorm in a mountainous town in northern Pakistan.
According to the police, at least six people were frozen to death inside their vehicles. It is still unknown whether the other victims asphyxiated after inhaling gases in the traffic jam.
Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid said military personnel have been mobilized to clear the roads and rescue the thousands of motorists still trapped near Murree, about 70 km northeast of the capital Islamabad.
Videos shared on social media show cars stuck in traffic, with a meter of snow piling up on their roofs.
“People are facing a terrible situation,” says Usman Abbasi, a tourist blocked in this town, where the snow continues to fall, he told AFP by phone.
– “Administration poorly prepared” –
For days, Pakistani social media has been full of images and videos of people enjoying themselves in the snow near Murree, a picturesque resort built by the British in the 19th century and used as a sanitarium for their colonial troops.
The Punjab province chief’s office announced that Murree had been declared a “disaster area” and urged people not to travel to the town.
Prime Minister Imran Khan declared himself shocked by the tragedy.
“Unprecedented snowfall and displacement of people without checking the weather forecasts leaves the administration unprepared” to deal with the situation, he tweeted.
“I have ordered an investigation and adopted strict measures in place to prevent this type of tragedy,” he added.
– Warnings –
Authorities warned last weekend that too many vehicles were trying to reach Murree, but this did not discourage crowds of drivers from traveling to Murree.
More than 100,000 cars have flocked to the tourist town in recent days to attend the large and unusual snowfalls, causing huge traffic jams on the access and exit roads, according to a police spokesman.
Its proximity to the capital makes Murree a popular tourist destination for day trips.
Minister Sheikh Rashid reported that local residents have accommodated people trapped in the city, and provided food and shelter to those on the outskirts of the town.
The authorities have provided accommodation in schools and administrative buildings for those who managed to get off the congested roads and into the town.
The Pakistan emergency service released a list with the names of 21 people whose deaths have been confirmed.
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