Tens of thousands of capital city dwellers from Islamabad had made their way into the mountains to enjoy the snow. More than 20 vacationers paid for the trip with their life.
Islamabad – After a severe onset of winter, at least 21 vacationers have died in a popular mountain resort in northern Pakistan. The civil defense announced this on Saturday.
Several women and children were among the dead, all of whom are said to be local. A police officer on vacation in the small town of Murree was also killed with his wife and six children.
State of emergency declared
Thousands of people were stuck on the streets in deep snow. Videos showed cars that could not move forward or backward. Murree, one of the most popular travel destinations in northern Pakistan, is located around 65 kilometers northeast of Islamabad at an altitude of around 2300 meters.
Tens of thousands of capital city dwellers had made their way there to enjoy the snow. The hotels were booked up quickly – thousands of travelers had no choice but to stay in their cars. The authorities declared a state of emergency for Murree and did not allow any further arrivals.
Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry appealed to people not to visit the mountain town. While rescue workers tried to free the trapped tourists, locals helped the stuck visitors with food and blankets. The meteorologists had predicted heavy snowfall by Sunday evening. dpa
