MURREE: Tragedy unfolded here on Saturday as approximately 21 people lost their lives in a snowstorm. All dead have been identified as tourists who died of hypothermia when their cars got stuck in heavy snow.
According to several reports, nearly 1,000 cars got stuck in tough weather conditions. Meanwhile, the Punjab Government Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has ordered the authorities to expedite the rescue work and to send more machinery and aid to stranded people in Murree.
Prime Minister Imran Khan said that he was “shocked and upset at tragic deaths of tourists on road to Murree”. He said that he had ordered inquiry into tragedy.
Shocked & upset at tragic deaths of tourists on road to Murree. Unprecedented snowfall & rush of ppl proceeding without checking weather conditions caught district admin unprepared. Have ordered inquiry & putting in place strong regulation to ensure prevention of such tragedies.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) January 8, 2022
According to Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, a large volume of tourists had created an unfavourable situation which had resulted in the tragedy. Ahmed, in a video message, said that 1,000 stranded cars would be rescued by the evening today.