The authorities of Pakistan have reported 22 of dead tourists because of low temperatures, after getting trapped in their cars during a jam on a road leading towards a popular mountain area.
According to the last official balance, at least eight people died due to low temperatures, and the rest because of suffocation after inhaling exhaust gases in snow-covered vehicles, according to the Pakistani Dawn newspaper.
The authorities also reported the progress of rescue operations, after the evacuation of thousands of people who continued stranded within their vehicles and the reopening of regular traffic.
The tragedy occurred between Friday night and Saturday, when tens of thousands of people traveled to the town of Murree, a mountain area of the province of Punjab, to enjoy the snowfall.
However, the large number of tourist vehicles caused a jam leaving thousands stranded in the snow.
"Shocked and annoyed by the tragic deaths of tourists on the road to Murree. The unprecedented snow and the avalanche of people who proceeded without verifying the climatic conditions took the administrator of the unprepared district," said the Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan .
"I have ordered an investigation and established strict regulation to guarantee the prevention of such tragedies," he added.
According to the Minister of the Interior, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, around 100,000 vehicles took the road to Murree last Friday.
This amount of tourists is the largest number of visitors in decades, "what created a crisis," Rashid said yesterday.
Videos on social networks, recorded by the tourists themselves, show people walking through the strong snowfall in search of safe places, abandoning their vehicles.
For its proximity to the Pakistani capital, Murree is a popular destination for tourists during the weekend, especially in winter, when the hills are covered by a snow blanket.
Pakistan has experienced intermittent rains during the last four days, which has caused the suspension and the detour of flights. The strong snow covers have also caused road closure in various parts of the country, including the provinces of Balochistan, Gilgit Baltistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Date Of Update: 09 January 2022, 12:32
