KARACHI, Pakistan, Jan 8 – At least 16 tourists have died from freezing temperatures after being trapped in their cars in northern Pakistan, where thousands had flocked to enjoy the snow, officials said on Saturday.
With about 1,000 XNUMX vehicles still parked, the government has declared Murree, located 40 kilometers (40 miles) northeast of the capital Islamabad, a disaster area.
“For the first time in 15 to 20 years such a large number of tourists have moved to Murree, which has created a huge problem,” said Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Pakistan’s interior minister.
The minister said about 1,000 vehicles were stranded at the hill station, a nearby town, which confirmed that “16 to 19 people had died in their vehicles.”
Dozens of soldiers and soldiers have been deployed to assist community leaders in rescue operations, he said.
Towards the end of Friday the government announced the closure of all access roads to the station to curb the influx of tourists.
Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed shock at the “tragic death” of the visitors. “They have ordered an investigation and have put in place strict rules to ensure the prevention of these disasters,” Khan said on Twitter.
Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry urged people not to visit the mountain station.
The snowstorm, which began Tuesday night, continued unabated, attracting thousands of visitors. Due to the large number of tourists, many families end up trapped in the streets.
Local media reported that more than 100,000 vehicles had entered the mountain station.
Videos shared on social media showed all families, including children, lying dead in their snow-covered cars.
“Is the death caused by cold poisoning or carbon monoxide (CO) ?,” said Drs. Faheem Yonus, chief of infectious diseases at the University of Maryland UCH on Twitter. “CO is odorless, it is deadly when buried in an inactive vehicle. In the snow, a blocked exhaust (silencer) can quickly kill passengers as they breathe CO.”
Officials have not yet commented on the cause of death.