Heavy snow traps tourists’ vehicles in Galiyat

ABBOTTABAD: Heavy snowfall in Abbottabad’s Galiyat region has left tourists’ vehicles stranded, with the main highway linking Abbottabad to Murree closed at multiple points, hampering traffic flow.

Rescue teams have been dispatched to evacuate stranded tourists, with five vehicles reported stuck in the snow at Galiyat’s Donga Gali area.

Each vehicle reportedly carries between 10 to 15 tourists.

The tragic incident in Murree and Galiyat in January 2022 serves as a somber backdrop to the current situation. During that time, a severe snowstorm struck the area, resulting in the deaths of 23 tourists.

The snowstorm began on January 7, 2022, and continued into the next day, dropping more than 4 feet (1.2 meters) of snow. Many of the victims died due to the extreme cold as temperatures plummeted to around -8 degrees Celsius.

The disaster was exacerbated by a massive influx of visitors, with over 157,000 vehicles entering Murree as the snowfall began. That led to unprecedented traffic jams, and many tourists were trapped in their cars overnight in freezing temperatures.

The local administration faced criticism for not adequately preparing for the snowstorm despite weather warnings, and for failing to manage the traffic and provide timely assistance.

Rescue officials said that it was important to heed weather advisories for winter travel in mountainous regions.

Earlier, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) issued an important advisory to various departments in anticipation of potential rain and snowfall in the coming week.

The meteorological department had predicted a fresh spell of rain and snowfall in various areas of the country from March 11 till 14