CHITRAL: As many as 10 persons were killed and four injured as avalanches hit Karimabad Valley in Chitral district on Sunday.
According to Deputy Commissioner Chitral Shahab Hameed Yousafzai,an avalanche hit Shershal village of Karimabad valley. Some 13 persons were buried under the debris. Bodies of three children, four women and two men were recovered by local volunteeres while a child, a woman and two men were injured. The injured could not be shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital as all the roads of the valley were blocked due to heavy snowfall.Similarly, another incident occurred near Pak Afghan border in which a soldier was killed. Commandant Chitral Scouts Col Nizamuddin Shah said deceased Sepoy Irshadul Haq, a resident of Torkho, died when an avalanche hit Dameel Yoshatan post near Pak Afghan border area while another soldier was injured.
District Nazim Chitral Maghfriat Shah said Chitral Airport was also closed due to heavy snowfall while all roads of the district were also blocked. MPA Saleem Khan alleged that PDMA badly failed to rescue the people hit by avalanches and to provide them food and life saving drugs. Since all link roads of Shershal village were totally blocked, so rescue teams were facing hardships to the village.
According to the district police officer, bodies of nine persons were recovered from the debris of avalanche at Shershal. The daed were identified as Shapeer Khan son of Barzandoi Khan, wife of Hussain, wife of Khush Nizar, Ahmad Khan son of Khush Nizar, Bibi Hawa daughter of Khush Nizar, wife of Didar Ali, Sohran Khan, Ayan Ali and Shakeela wife of Saidul Khan. The injured included daughter in law of Hussain Khan, Khush Nizar, Didar Ali son of Akhlasuddin, Bashir Khan son of Akhlasuddin and Sameer Ali Shah. Muhammad Ali Shah, member Tehsil Council of Chitral, appealed to the provincial and federal governments as well as NDMA and PDMA for initiating rescue operation in the entire valley to open roads as well as to provide shelter to the affected people. According to Nazim Village Council of Kankhon Muhammad Ilyas, the Yarkhun valley received some 4 feet snow leading to blockage of all roads.
There were no medicines at the only dispensary in the valley, he added. He said a woman Miss Pari Bibi had in Chitral hospital but her body could not shifted to her native town due to blocking of roads. The residents of Chitral are facing acute shortage of food as the only link route connecting the district with other parts of the country was blocked at Lawari Top due to heavy snowfall while PIA flights were also cancelled. Supply of electricity also remained suspended as the main transmission line was damaged at Lawari Top.
