Authorities had been warned of a snowstorm threatening the area as early as Thursday, two days before the accident.
At least 22 people have died after a snowstorm hit the mountain town of Murree in northern Pakistan on Saturday amid a huge traffic jam. There are ten children among the dead, according to the news agency AFP.
Even before the day of the accident, it had been snowing in the area for several days, mobilizing an exceptional number of tourists trying to marvel at the winter.
The small town of Murree, built by the British in the 19th century, is usually a popular holiday destination, but authorities say this rush was unprecedented. The New York Times says at least 24,000 cars were stuck in the blizzard, according to authorities.
Temperatures dropped in the region to eight degrees Celsius. Authorities said some of the victims died of carbon monoxide poisoning instead of hypothermia as they tried to stay warm by keeping their cars running and heaters on.
Pakistan an army and several paramilitary forces were sent to the area to help clear roads and evacuate people.
The Army Information Department said on Sunday that all the remaining trapped had been secured in their cars and taken to temporary shelters erected in the city.
Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan stated On Twitterthat the unprecedented snowfall and the rush of people came as a surprise to the local authorities.
However, the snowstorm should not have come as a surprise, as the country’s weather agency warned about it and the threat of road closures as early as Thursday, AFP says.
“A high-level investigation will be launched. If any omissions are found, the necessary action will be taken against those responsible, ”said a spokesman for the Punjab province. Hasaan Khawar According to AFP.
Locals have been criticizing the authorities for some time, according to The New York Times, for recurring and predictable tourist flows to the city of Murree often causing problems.
“These Deaths were completely unavoidable and the government is responsible to the people for this contempt,” a Pakistani expert on municipal politics Sarah N. Ahmad said to NOW.
An anonymous representative of the administration also criticized AFP residents of Murree and local hoteliers for not cooperating at the time of the emergency.
On the other hand, AFP was also told that some locals had stayed in their homes and provided them with food and blankets.
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