Avalanche buries four in Chitral

Rescue workers recover their bodies

CHITRAL: At least four people, including two brothers, were swept away when a heavy avalanche struck the Sheshi Koh valley near the Gorain area of Chitral on Sunday.

Their bodies were recovered by rescue workers later in the day. According to Deputy Commissioner, four people went missing in the avalanche which struck them in the remote Shishi Koh valley on Saturday.

The men hailed from the Gujar tribe and were herding their goats from a pasture.

The four, including the two brothers, had gone to a grazing ground to bring their flock back when the avalanche hit the area.

The men were identified as Momin and Amir Zada, the sons of Khaista Khan and residents of Shahinoor Shishi Koh. Others include Saad Muluk, the son of Bahadar Khan, and Usman Khan — the son of Gul Muhammad and a resident of Kauti Arandu (near the Pakistan-Afghan border).

The meadow is located in Goren Gol, at the confluence of Dogdara, where the boundaries of Upper Dir and Chitral districts meet.

Rescuers, including teams of Rescue 1122, were dispatched to the area. Owing to the avalanche, the rescue teams had to depart on foot, taking them hours to reach the spot.

However, after a long search and rescue operation, the bodies of the four missing people were found buried under heavy snow.

Rescue 1122 Director General Dr Khateer Ahmad said that the four bodies were recovered by rescue officials after they crossed a tough and narrow terrain by foot for three hours and reached the incident site, located at an altitude of 10,000 feet above sea level.

The missing people were found buried under three feet of heavy snow which was spread over an area of around two square kilometres.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 5^th, 2018.