Avalanche hits Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region, kills 10, 12 seriously ill

Islamabad: At least 10 people from a nomadic tribe were killed and 25 others injured when an avalanche hit Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region on Saturday. According to police, 10 people, including three women, were killed in the disaster that occurred at Shanter Top area of ​​Astor district in the hill region.

“The rescue operation was started with the help of the local people and later Pakistan Army personnel also joined the operation,” police said. Dawn News quoted rescue officials as saying that 25 members of a Gujjar family, along with their cattle, were going to Astor from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir when they were hit by an avalanche.

The injured were taken to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital Astor, where the condition of 12 remains critical. Earlier, Deputy Inspector General of Police of Diamer-Estor Division Tufail Mir said that rescue teams were facing challenges in reaching the affected area, as it is an inhospitable location and difficult terrain.

Force Command Northern Areas, a military formation of the Pakistan Army, provided helicopter service, relief material and paramedical staff to assist in the rescue operation, but they ‘could not be sent to the site’ due to bad weather conditions. The official said the district administration is closely monitoring the rescue operation, while emergency has been imposed at DHQ Hospital Astor and Combined Military Hospital Skardu.

Chief Secretary Mohiuddin Wani confirmed the accident and said rescue teams were working in the affected area. Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Khalid Khurshid Khan expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and directed local authorities to launch rescue operations.

He asked the Interior Secretary, Director General of GBDMA (Gilgit Baltistan Disaster Management Authority) and other officials to investigate the incident immediately. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a tweet expressed deep sorrow over the loss of precious lives in avalanches, adding that such incidents are on the rise in Pakistan due to the effects of climate change.

“The whole world has to do its part to save developing countries like Pakistan from these harmful effects,” he said. Five of the 14 world peaks above 8,000 meters are located in this region. In addition, Gilgit-Baltistan has over 7,000 glaciers and frequently witnesses avalanches, landslides and glacial lake outbursts.

In a tragic incident in 2012, at least 129 Pakistan Army soldiers and 11 civilians lost their lives when a massive avalanche hit their camp in the Gayari area, about 300 km north-east of Skardu district.