Rescuers evacuated dozens of stranded residents to safety as heavy snowfall blanketed several mountainous districts, blocked roads and cut off villages in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Kashmir on Friday.Rescue 1122 teams backed by Army soldiers were operating in different areas of Tirah Valley in District Khyber and shifted over 40 people, including women and children, to safe locations.

The evacuees were provided with food, warm clothes and bedding, according to Rescue 1122 spokesman Bilal Faizi. Around 55 people, who had been stranded in 20 vehicles in Sandana area, were rescued. Rescue 1122 teams from Peshawar, Swabi and Nowshera participated in rescue operations, which continued despite difficulties due to slippery roads and heavy snowfall. 

“People are stranded at various places due to heavy snowfall,” KP government spokesman Shafi Jan said in a statement. “Contact with some areas is not possible due to the suspension of mobile phone signals and road closures, however, rescue operations are ongoing.” Separately, several people were stranded in four vehicles in Bahrain area of District. “As soon as the information was received, the rescue disaster and medical teams immediately reached the scene,” the rescue service said.

“The rescue personnel, taking professional action, safely shifted all the people to a safe place and also safely recovered the stranded vehicles.” The process of clearing snow from the Malam Jabba Road, Kalam and other areas was being carried out, according to local authorities. Heavy snowfall has disrupted traffic on several roads in South Waziristan’s Ladha town as well. The situation was not different in District Mansehra where routine life was thrown into a spin with no electricity, road access and telecom services. 

With the much-awaited snowfall on higher reaches, the dry spell that persisted in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) for over past several months has dropped as the top mountainous Neelam and Leepa valleys and rainfall in plains received heavy spell of snow and rainfall. Mercury fell down to exceptional extent turning weather chilled in top mountainous Neelam and Leepa valleys. The inclement weather led to a dip in the day temperature also. 

However, the night temperature soared to intolerable chillness in the top upper reaches of the liberated territory. The Met Office predicted continuation of the rainfall in several of plains and snowfall at top mountainous parts of the AJK during next 24 hours. There was an hours-long electricity and telecom services breakdown in Muzaffarabad and other main AJK cities. Most parts of Sindh and Punjab also received heavy rains which added more chill to the already cold weather.

According to Metrological Department, intermittent rain in Lahore continued which added chill to the weather while temperature was recorded at 11 degree Celsius.  Rain in Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Sialkot and surrounding areas also continued. Intermittent rain continued in twin cities and the intensity of cold has increased. According to the Meteorological Department, intermittent rain will continue throughout the day today as well. First rain of winter season added to the cold in Karachi.

According to Metrological Department, cold wave will continue till the end of January and during the next 24 hours, cold nights will be felt with dry weather The maximum temperature is likely to be recorded between 20 and 22 degrees Celsius from today and humidity ratio in the air is 33 percent. Winds are blowing from the northeast at a light speed and the air quality of the city has improved after the rain.  

Heavy rain also received in many areas of Khyber district overnight. Due to rain and snowfall in Azad Kashmir, cold weather intensified and several roads in the upper Neelum Valley and the highway connecting Leepa to Reshiyan were closed. Heavy snowfall added cold in northern areas of Balochistan as Ziarat dropped to minus 15 degrees Celsius while Quetta minus 11, Qalat minus 12 degrees Celsius record and below freezing point recorded in Nathiagali and Thandiani and Murree.

 On the instructions of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, food items are being distributed among tourists present in Murree after heavy snowfall. On the instructions of Punjab Chief Minister, Provincial Minister for Communications Malik Sohaib Ahmed Bharath is present in Murree. 

The Provincial Minister said all arrangements for removing snow from the highways and sprinkling salt are active in Murree and highway machinery is present on the main highways of Murree to remove snow.  He said about 13 Tourist Facilitation Centers are fully active and all the staff of the district administration including the highway are on alert. He said traffic police are also patrolling the highways of Murree.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)