Three died as a snow avalanche hits four vehicles

M. Bilal Baseer Abbasi

ABBOTTABAD: Three people were died and six critically injured out of 30 others when an avalanche hit four vehicles carrying tourists and locals in the mountainous area of Kundla, Galiyat in the jurisdiction of Dunga Gali police on late Tuesday evening.

According to the source, until Wednesday afternoon, three bodies were recovered while 30 people were rescued and are injured. But it was fear that there were some people still missing. This happened on Tuesday evening when a heavy mass of snow fell on four vehicles and a motorcycle. The automobiles included a passenger van, a motor suzuki and two cars.

While talking to the media, Ahsan Hameed, the spokesperson of Galiyat Development Authority (GDA) told that the bodies of 3 had been recovered from the debris, including a woman and two men.The deceased were identified as Mohammad Shoaib and Naveed who were employees of the district health office Abbottabad

The region has been hit by heavy snowfall and a total of 25 people were injured in the incident, five of them seriously.The local inhabitants and police personnel rushed to the area on Tuesday evening and retrieved the bodies. Later rescue team from Abbottabad had also reached the spot where approach was very difficult, rescue workers, locals and police had rescued 25 passengers which had been buried under the snow while the rescue workers and locals were struggling to recover other passengers from the three vehicles those have been fallen into the gorge.

While talking to The Frontier Post AmnaSardar, former lawmaker and social activist said on a Tuesday evening a snow slide hit at least 4 vehicles where locals started rescue operation immediately afterwards and recovered many injured persons.There was no way to rush the injured persons to nearby civil hospital (either) because road leading towards it had been blocked due to negligence of the concerned departments that’s why the injured were provided with first aid treatment on main road.

They were further shifted to district headquarters hospital in for treatment. She demanded of the authorities to take preemptive measures so lives could be saved in future.