Karachi, The Indonesia Post – At least 16 tourists have died from the cold after being trapped in their vehicles in northern Pakistan where thousands have come to enjoy the snow, officials said Saturday.
With about 1,000 vehicles still trapped in the snow, the government has designated Murree, 64 km northeast of the capital Islamabad, as a disaster area.
“For the first time in 15 to 20 years large numbers of tourists flocked to Murree, which caused a major crisis,” Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Pakistan’s interior minister, said in a video message.
Ahmed said about 1,000 cars were stuck in the hill station, which was built on a higher elevation than the surrounding area.
He confirmed “16 to 19 tourists died in their vehicles”.
Several platoons of army and paramilitary troops have been deployed to assist the civilian government in the rescue operation, he said.
On Friday evening, the government announced the closure of all roads leading to the small town to stop the influx of tourists.
Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed his shock at the “tragic deaths” of dozens of tourists.
“Have ordered an investigation and established strict regulations to ensure the prevention of a similar tragedy,” Khan tweeted.
Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry asked the public not to visit Murree.
The snow, which started falling on Tuesday night, continues to fall periodically and attracts thousands of tourists. Due to the large number of visitors, many families were stranded on the streets.
Local media reported more than 100,000 vehicles entered the tourist town.
Videos shared on social media showed several families, including children, dying in their snow-covered vehicles.
“Was the death caused by cold or carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning?” said Dr. Faheem Younus, head of the infectious disease department at the University of Maryland UCH, on Twitter.
“CO is odorless, lethal if a constantly running car is buried in snow, a clogged exhaust can quickly kill the occupants when they inhale the CO.”
Pakistani officials have not spoken about the cause of death. (ojn/bbs)
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