Over 500 families rescued in Murree as road cleared

Army operation continues as it is working on taking stranded tourists to Rawalpindi, Islamabad

MURREE/ ISLAMABAD:

The Punjab police on Sunday said over 500 families in the calamity-hit Murree were rescued and taken to safety in the last 24 hours, after at least 23 tourists stranded in their vehicles during a snowstorm died on Friday night.

Separately, army rescuers cleared routes around the hill station, which was sheltering thousands of tourists. In its latest update, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) mentioned that “all main communication arteries” were cleared for all types of movement as the rescue operation in Murree continued. According to the military media wing’s press release, “after [the] clearance of main roads, army engineers are now focusing [on] road links.”

The statement further added that relief camps and medical facilitates were fully operational and the army transport was working to move stranded tourists from Murree to Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
According to a police spokesperson, all major highways in Murree had been cleared for traffic and about 600 to 700 vehicles were evacuated from the hill station last night. He further said Rawalpindi police, district administration and army soldiers remained active throughout the night.

“Heavy snowfall on Murree’s main highways caused 20 to 25 large trees to fall that had blocked the roads. All tourists were rescued before nightfall and taken to safe places,” the spokesperson added.
Regional Police Officer Rawalpindi Ashfaq Khan, CPO Rawalpindi Sajid Kayani, Chief Traffic Officer Taimur Khan and the Murree deputy superintendent of police remained engaged in the operation till late hours of the night.

Read: Capital routes to Murree closed

The Lower Topa Express Highway from Jhika Gali; Lawrence College from Jhika Gali and the RMK road from Kuldana were clear for traffic. However, traffic coming from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to Murree was closed. “More than a thousand Rawalpindi police and traffic police personnel took part in the rescue operation,” the spokesperson said. He added that staffer at public and private hospitals in Murree were also on alert to deal with any emergencies.

In a tweet, Special Assistant to the PM for Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill wrote that police officials were present on the roads leading to Murree from Islamabad and Rawalpindi. He added that the roads would remain closed on Sunday. Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar also conducted an aerial inspection of the areas of Murree affected because of heavy snowfall. The CM reviewed the relief activities being carried out in the affected areas and also observed the relief operation.

An administrative official in Nathia Gali was shocked to see such an "unprecedented" snowstorm in the area. “It was not snow, and not even heavy snow, it was unprecedented... with four to five feet in few hours,” Tariq Ullah, an administrative official in nearby Nathia Gali, told AFP. “[I] never saw such a huge snowstorm in my life. There were strong winds, uprooted trees, avalanches. People around were terrified, each having his or her own account of suffering," he added.

On Sunday, a steady stream of vehicles and people on foot were making their way out of hard-hit Kuldana, close to Murree. Many tourists complained on social media that Murree hoteliers and guest-house owners had compounded the problem by price gouging, prompting stranded people to spend the night in their cars rather than pay for a room. "Things would have been different if local people and hotels were cooperative, but the reputation and conduct of the local people of Murree are very bad in this respect," a senior government official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

There were also reports, however, of locals throwing open their homes to stranded tourists and offering food and blankets to those caught in the open.

(With input from AFP)