KOHISTAN: A rescue mission was able to recover on Sunday at least seven laborers who went missing after embarking on a journey to collect precious peridot stones in Supat Valley of Kohistan due to heavy snowfall in the area.
The mission was launched on Sunday morning as Upper Kohistan District Police Officer (DPO) Raja Abdul Saboor Khan told reporters that the families have not heard from the laborers within a week which has caused fear that they may be trapped or dead.
Speaking to a local media outlet, a cousin of one of the missing miners, Noor Niazi, had said that the families of the miners do not any idea of the whereabouts of their loved ones for one week and that the area where the missing men were last seen is currently inaccessible as snowfall is at least 15 feet deep.
The deputy commissioner has requested the provincial government for a helicopter to launch a rescue operation to recover them, he said, in which members of the Pakistan Armed Forces are also expected to take part.
RESCUE HELICOPTER:
The Pakistan Army came to the rescue of seven persons trapped after heavy snowfall in Upper Kohistan district, with the help of a helicopter.
According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, these persons went missing because of heavy snowfall in the area on Saturday.
ISPR said Pakistan Army Aviation rescued seven snow stranded persons from village Serto Lohi Jalkot near Supat Valley in Kohistan. “The individuals were stuck for the last 72 hours because of heavy snowfall. All individuals have been evacuated to Pattan,” ISPR said.
The district police officer on Saturday said the missing people were excavating Peridot gemstone in a locality. The DPO said family of the missing persons had contacted the deputy commissioner for help.
The Pakistan Army and Pakistan Air Force on Tuesday dispatched rescue teams to rescue the stranded travellers in Nathia Gali.
According to Inter-Services Public Relations, the rescue operation was undertaken early morning at 3:15am under extreme weather conditions and the marooned tourists, who called for help through the media, were shifted to a safer place in Murree and Kalabagh.
The teams, carrying food items and medicine were sent in support of civil administration to assist the Quick Response Force and Rescue 1122 teams in the rescue operation.
Snowfall in Skardu and other parts of the northern areas of the country has added to the chill, plummeting the temperatures there as low as -12 degrees Celsius.
As per details, the plains of Skardu received several inches of snow while its surrounding areas received 3 to 4 inches of snow, disrupting road traffic in these areas.
The temperature recorded in Skardu following the snowfall was -12 degree Celsius, according to the weather department.