Avalanche
Avalanche
An avalanche killed seven persons and injured many in Ziarat area near Lowari Tunnel, District Chitral Valley on Sunday, police confirmed the incident.

The official also confirmed that the dead bodies of the seven persons who were mechanics and technical staff of Sambu Korean construction company had been recovered. Seven persons rescued were rushed to the District Hospital.

Deputy Commissioner Chitral Shahab Hameed Yousafzai informed APP, that avalanche triggered by continous heavy snowfall hit a nearby mountain rock on the top of a workshop of SAMBU Construction Company of Korea, working in construction of 8.5 km long Lawari tunnel.

Workshop was hit by land sliding and avalanche at 11.00 a.m as a result 14 people were burried under the debris and heavy stones and rocks. Chitral Levies, Chitral Scouts and Chitral Police along with local volunteers took part in rescue operation and they recovered seven bodies and seven other injured were rescued and were rushed to Peshawar for medical treatment.

DC Chitral further informed that those who were killed in the deadly incident were identified as Rahmat Zada of Drosh, (Chitral), Jalal Khan, resident of Drosh, Rahmat Ghazi of Drosh, Nadeem Khan of Punjab, Haji Iftikhar, Kamran Khan and Muhammad Asif residents of Punjab.

The injured were identified as Altaf Hussain of Liya Punjab, Zamarrut Hussain of Gojar Khan, Qaisar Nisar of Sialkot, Shakeel Ahmad of Jinjirat Koh Chitral, Gul Alam of Drosh Chitral, Mujeeb of Dhameer Arando Chitral, and Bahadar Wali of Drosh Chitral.

It is worth to mention here that avalanche hit Chitral scouts post a few years back and as a result 7 soldiers were killed with avalanche also killed four people in 2014. When contact District Police Officer Syed Akbar Ali Shah informed that heavy avalanche hit house and cattle house of Kabeeruddin, resident of Ajoo goal, Garamchishma area as a result 25 cattle died under the debris of avalanche but people of the house were survived miraculously.

DC Chitral informed that roads of Arkari valley, Broghul Kan khoon are still blocked due to heavy snowfall and we are trying of our best to open them very soon.

Former Nazim Union Council Khot, Imran Ali Shah while talking to this agency said that Nazak Wali Shah was killed and two others injured. The injured were identified as Azam Khan and Qurban Sharif. Bodies of the victims were retrieved by local volunteers from the snow.

Meanwhile, main roads and link roads remain closed due to heavy snowfall and land sliding in the valley leading to shortage of food and increasing problems of area people. Snowfall also continued in Yarkhoon Lasht and Kankhoon valley.

Source: Associated Press of Pakistan