Avalanche Kills 11 Members of Nomadic Tribe in Northern Pakistan
By Abu Arqam Naqash
Muzaffarabad
At least 11 people died after an avalanche hit members of a nomadic tribe as they crossed a mountainous area in northern Pakistan, the country's disaster management agency said on Saturday.
Another 13 people were injured in the avalanche which struck a group of families at Shounter Top Pass late on Friday. The pass, which is located at 4,420 meters (14,501ft) above sea level, connects the Astore district of the Gilgit-Baltistan region to the bordering Kashmir valley.
The bodies of the victims have been recovered, the agency said in a statement, adding that the injured, including a child, have been taken to a local hospital where they are said to be in a critical condition.
Harsh weather conditions hampered the rescue operation and made access to the remote scene difficult.
In summer, the nomads move goat herds from the plains of Punjab to the high grasslands in the Kashmir valley, and then onwards to the adjoining Gilgit Baltistan through the Shounter Pass.
"Such incidents are rising in Pakistan due to the impact of climate change," Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a statement.
Pakistan, which in recent years has faced record monsoon rains and glacier melt in northern mountains, is among the top 10 countries at risk of natural disasters due to the climate change.
Sharif called on the international community to fulfil its responsibility to save developing countries facing economic challenges from adverse effects of climate change. - Reuters
According to a BBC report the snow struck as the group crossed a mountainous area in the Shounter Pass with their goat herds.
A further 25 people have been injured and a rescue operation is ongoing.
Four women and a four-year-old boy were among those who died, said senior police officer Ziarat Ali said, as quoted by the Associated Press news agency.
Rescue teams have faced challenges in reaching the area due to its remote location and difficult terrain.
Troops have been helping local officials with the rescue operation, and two military helicopters were scrambled. According to witnesses, local residents also joined the effort to rescue people trapped under the snow.
Pakistan's northern areas are vulnerable to climate change and have been experiencing frequent extreme weather events.
The northern region is sometimes referred to as part of the "third pole" because it contains more glacial ice than anywhere in the world outside of the polar regions.
Some of these immense glaciers are already melting due to climate change, creating more than 3,000 lakes. And last year, the country saw devastating floods that killed more than 1,700 people. - BBC
