DC identifies victims as mechanics, technical staff of a Korean company
An avalanche in Ziarat area near Lowari Tunnel killed seven people and injured many others on Sunday, rescuers and police said.
The deceased and injured persons were mechanics and technical staff of a Korean construction company. Chitral Deputy Commissioner Shahab Hameed Yousafzai said avalanche hit a nearby mountain rock on the top of a workshop of SAMBU company, working to construct 8.5km long tunnel.
A local police official also confirmed that seven people were killed by the avalanche. As many as seven others were rescued and rushed to the district hospital, he added. Yousafzai said that the avalanche, triggered by continuous heavy snowfall, hit a nearby mountain rock on the top of a workshop of SAMBU working on the construction project of 8.5km long Lawari tunnel.
The workshop was hit by landslide and avalanche at 11:00 am and as a result 14 people were buried under the debris and heavy stones and rocks. Chitral Levies, Chitral Scouts and Chitral Police along with local volunteers took part in rescue operation. They recovered seven bodies and seven other injured were rescued and were rushed to Peshawar for medical treatment.
The Chitral DC further said that those who were killed in the deadly incident were identified as Rahmat Zada of Drosh, (Chitral), Jalal Khan, a resident of Drosh, Rahmat Ghazi of Drosh, Nadeem Khan of Punjab, Haji Iftikhar, Kamran Khan and Muhammad Asif, residents of Punjab. The injured were identified as Altaf Hussain of Layyah, Zamarrut Hussain of Gojar Khan, Qaisar Nisar of Sialkot, Shakeel Ahmad of Jinjirat Koh Chitral, Gul Alam of Drosh Chitral, Mujeeb of Chitral and Bahadar Wali of Drosh.
The DC said that roads of Arkari valley, Broghul Kan Khoon were still blocked due to heavy snowfall and “we are trying our best to open them very soon”. On the other hand, main roads and link roads remain closed due to heavy snowfall and landslides in the valley leading to shortage of food and increasing problems for area people. Snowfall also continued in Yarkhoon Lasht and Kankhoon valley.
