14 stranded in Deosai amid heavy snowfall

GILGIT: At least 14 locals traveling in two vehicles have been trapped for over 29 hours amid relentless snowfall in Deosai, the second-highest plateau in the world and national park connecting the Skardu and Astore districts of Gilgit-Baltistan.

There has been no contact with them for the last 29 hours. Skardu Deputy Commissioner Arif Ahmed, speaking to HUM News English, confirmed the incident and noted that the district administration was alerted about the situation late Thursday night. The last known location of the stranded group was traced near a power station in the Giniyal village area of Deosai.

“There are small settlements in that vicinity, so it is possible that they sought refuge there,” said DC Ahmed. He said the nearest army camp had been alerted which initiated search and rescue operations. “Both the army and the local administration are working diligently to locate and bring them to safety,” he added.

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According to the deputy commissioner, an aerial search operation involving an army helicopter has been approved and is on standby, but due to persistent heavy snowfall, air support has not yet commenced. “Once the weather conditions stabilize, aerial surveillance will be initiated,” DC Ahmed stated.

Skardu Police Spokesperson Ghulam Muhammad Shuja reported that the group, consisting of approximately 10 to 15 individuals, departed from Gultari for Skardu city at around 8 a.m. on Thursday.

They were expected to reach Skardu by evening but failed to arrive and lost all contact. Spokesperson Shuja noted that the severe weather conditions likely caused their mobile phones to lose power or malfunction. “There are also significant mobile signal issues in the region,” he added.