Snowfall strands tourists, locals in Galiyat

The Galiyat Development Authority had to clear the Abbottabad-Murree Road of snow using heavy machinery

ABBOTTABAD: Hundreds of locals and tourists found themselves trapped on the hills of Galiyat after heavy snowfall this week.

The Galiyat Development Authority (GDA) had to clear the Abbottabad-Murree Road of snow using heavy machinery but the link roads in the region remain closed.

Tourists and local resident on Thursday asked K-P government and the Abbottabad district administration to clear all link roads in the Galiyat as locals are facing severe hardships. People cannot take patients to hospitals while they are also facing a shortage of food due to the closure of roads, locals said.

Meanwhile, the newly established tourism police and GDA personnel, with help from local police, rescued at least 50 tourists. At least four police mobiles vans with six staff members in each van, two each of local police, GDA and tourism police were involved.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 10^th, 2020.