9 killed as avalanche hits house in K-P's Lower Chitral
Pakistan Army recovers and transfers bodies of victims killed in Damel avalanche in Lower Chitral. Photo: Express
At least nine people were killed and one child injured after an avalanche struck a house in the remote Damel area of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's Lower Chitral following heavy snowfall, officials said on Friday.
Lower Chitral Deputy Commissioner Rao Hashim Azeem confirmed the toll to The Express Tribune, adding that all bodies buried under the debris were recovered. He said the injured child was rescued alive and was being shifted to Drosh for medical treatment.
Rescue 1122 District Emergency Officer Bilal Ahmed Faizi said the incident occurred in the village of Sareegal, within the jurisdiction of PP Damil and PS Arandu, when a massive snow slide trapped 10 members of the same family under the debris.
He said locals immediately launched rescue efforts and initially recovered four bodies from the rubble. Search and rescue operations continued amid difficult conditions, with police present at the scene to assist the affected family and coordinate relief work.
Faizi said the victims were identified as a man, his wife and seven of their children, including three daughters and two sons.
He added that a rescue operation was carried out with the participation of the Pakistan Army, Chitral Scouts, Chitral Levies and Chitral Police, with local volunteers playing a key role despite harsh weather and terrain.
Lower Chitral District Police Officer (DPO) Riffatullah Khan said snowfall was ongoing at the time of the incident and that Chitral police worked to clear access routes. He added that, alongside the police, the Pakistan Army and Frontier Corps took part in relief efforts, rescuing the injured and recovering the bodies, thereby completing the operation.
According to the DPO, a police alert was issued due to the continuing severe weather conditions, and officers were directed to remain on duty round the clock until the situation improved.
President Asif Ali Zardari expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives in the avalanche.
President Asif Ali Zardari expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives in an avalanche in Chitral, calling recent extreme weather a climate emergency. He directed federal, provincial & local authorities to enhance preparedness, relief & public communication using modern tech.
In a post on X, describing the extreme weather events as a climate emergency, the president directed federal, provincial and local authorities to enhance preparedness, relief efforts and public communication through the use of modern technology.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directs all federal rescue and relief agencies to expedite relief operations in coordination with the provincial government, along with taking immediate measures to move the affected people to safe locations.
He also ordered the National Disaster Management Authority chairman to monitor the situation in the mountainous areas of the country after snowfall and maintain constant contact with relevant agencies so that any possible emergency situation could be effectively dealt with.
https://x.com/PTVNewsOfficial/status/2014737215918911774
K-P Chief Minister Sohail Afridi also took notice of the avalanche incident and ordered the provision of immediate relief and assistance to the affected families.
He directed the relevant authorities to expedite rescue and relief operations and instructed that additional machinery and personnel be deployed to restore roads in snow-affected areas.
Describing the incident as extremely tragic, CM Afridi expressed sorrow over the loss of lives and conveyed his condolences to the families of the deceased. He further directed that the injured be provided with the best possible medical care.
K-P Governor Faisal Karim Kundi also expressed grief over the deaths while conveying his condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for those who lost their lives in the incident.
❄️ روڈ کلیئرنس آپریشن ❄️
وزیرِ اعلیٰ خیبر پختونخوا کی ہدایات پر، ضلعی انتظامیہ اپر جنوبی وزیرستان کی نگرانی میں برفباری سے متاثرہ شاہراہوں کی بحالی کا عمل کامیابی سے مکمل کر لیا گیا ہے۔ عوامی سہولت اور محفوظ آمدورفت کو یقینی بنانے کے لیے تمام متعلقہ اداروں نے مؤثر انداز میں فرائض… pic.twitter.com/mEBNIa9yZDTerming the incident "extremely tragic", the governor said the provincial government shared the grief of the affected families.
Meanwhile, Special Assistant to the CM on Information Shafi Jan said heavy snowfall had been continuing in the mountainous areas since the previous day. He added that the provincial government was fully mobilised to respond to the situation.
Jan said Rescue 1122, the district administration, civil defence and other relevant departments were working vigorously, adding that the provincial government shared the grief of the bereaved families.
More rain, snow forecast in K-P from Sunday
The K-P Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) issued a weather advisory warning of further rain and snowfall in various parts of the province from Sunday night through Tuesday.
According to the PDMA, a new spell of western disturbances is expected to affect the region between January 25 and 27, likely bringing heavy precipitation to the upper districts of the province.
The authority said intense rain and snowfall were forecast for Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla and Kohistan, with severe snowfall expected at certain locations along with a sharp drop in temperatures while adding It added that hilly districts including Haripur, Peshawar, Mardan, Nowshera and Kohat were likely to receive heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms.
⚠️ Pakistan Weather Advisory
PMD forecasts rain, thunderstorms & heavy snowfall across multiple regions from 25–27 January.
Risk of road closures, landslides & avalanches in hilly areas.#PakistanWeather #WeatherAlert #Snowfall #PMD pic.twitter.com/T7pOVDgqIiThe authority warned that roads in upper areas such as Naran, Kaghan, Kalam and Chitral could become blocked or slippery, while the risk of landslides and avalanches in snow-affected regions remained high.
Tourists were advised to avoid non-essential travel and exercise caution. District administrations, Rescue 1122 and relevant departments were directed to remain on high alert. Citizens were urged to stay in safe locations during storms, lightning and snowfall.
Farmers and livestock owners were advised to take precautionary measures, while vulnerable streams and nullahs were to be continuously monitored. The PDMA said its Emergency Operations Centre was fully functional and that the public could contact the free helpline 1700 for information and assistance.
Swat authority mobilises resources
Following recent heavy snowfall in Swat and surrounding upper regions, the Upper Swat Development Authority (USDA) said it had mobilised all available resources to respond to the situation.
Tourism Secretary Saadat Hassan and USDA Director General Shoaib Abbas cancelled all leaves of authority staff and the Tourism Police, while emergency desks were established at key locations.
وزیرِ اعلیٰ خیبر پختونخوا کی ہدایات پر شدید برفباری کے بعد بالائی سوات اور ملحقہ علاقوں میں اپر سوات ڈویلپمنٹ اتھارٹی مکمل طور پر متحرک ہو گئی ہے۔ تمام ملازمین اور ٹورزم پولیس کی چھٹیاں منسوخ کر کے مختلف مقامات پر ایمرجنسی ڈیسک قائم کر دیے گئے ہیں۔
ڈی جی اپر سوات ڈویلپمنٹ… pic.twitter.com/1KZpjDK5oQUSDA Assistant Director and spokesperson Saeed-ur-Rehman said snowfall had disrupted roads, link routes and tourist sites. He said field staff, heavy machinery and the Tourism Police had been placed on high alert to ensure a prompt response to any emergency.
He added that snow clearance operations were under way on main highways, link roads and routes leading to tourist destinations to keep traffic moving.
People and tourists were urged to avoid unnecessary travel and to contact emergency desks, the Tourism Police or helpline 1422 if needed.
Snow-clearing operations reviewed
Meanwhile, Swat Deputy Commissioner Salim Jan Marwat chaired a high-level meeting to review snow removal operations and administrative preparedness following the latest spell of heavy snowfall in the district.
During the meeting, the deputy commissioner sought updated reports from departments and assistant commissioners and reviewed road clearance operations, machinery deployment and operational progress, with particular emphasis on ensuring safe passage for stranded tourists.
وادی تیراہ میں برفباری /ریسکیو 1122 کا امدادی آپریشن جاری!
وزیراعلی خیبر پختونخوا محمد سہیل خان آفریدی کی ہدایت پر ضلع خیبر کے دور افتادہ علاقوں وادی تیراہ، پائندہ چینہ، دواتوئی اور باغ میدان میں شدید برفباری سے متاثرہ افراد کے لیے وسیع پیمانے پر ریسکیو آپریشن جاری ہے۔… pic.twitter.com/ryyfj7N5iOInstructions were issued to prioritise the clearance of main roads, tourist sites and hospital access routes, and to continue snow removal operations without interruption. It was decided that additional machinery would be provided wherever required.
Rescue 1122 was directed to remain on alert and ensure rapid response in emergencies, while authorities were instructed to ensure the availability of essential supplies, medicines and fuel in upper areas. Assistant commissioners and departmental officials were directed to maintain field supervision and provide regular updates to the district administration.