At least nine members of a family were killed when a snow avalanche buried their house in Chitral on Friday, as heavy snowfall, avalanches and landslides disrupted life across northern and western parts of Pakistan, blocking major roads, cutting off power supplies and stranding travellers amid freezing temperatures.
Read More: Heavy snowfall paralyzes Northern Pakistan regions
The avalanche struck a house in Serigal village of the Damil area in Lower Chitral after the region received more than 20 inches of snowfall. Officials said the victims were inside the house when a large mass of snow slid down from a nearby pasture. A nine-year-old boy survived and was shifted to hospital, while the remaining bodies were recovered from the debris.
9 lives lost in a tragic avalanche in Chitral due to heavy snowfall. This is not just an accident — it reflects serious gaps in emergency response and infrastructure.
We demand Emergency in Chitral NOW.@ndmapk @MohsinnaqviC42 @senatorMtalha @YarMKNiazi @HamidMirPAK #Chitral pic.twitter.com/tR0a8uYQef
— M.Faheem Afzal ✪ Voice of the North🏔️ (@FaheemAfzalay) January 23, 2026
Snowfall continued for over 36 hours in Chitral, suspending traffic on key routes, including the road leading to the Lowari Tunnel. Thousands of passengers were stranded for several hours before traffic was restored after snow clearance operations. Power supply to the district was also disrupted after snowfall damaged transmission lines at Lowari Top.
Severe weather conditions were also reported from Gilgit-Baltistan, where fresh snowfall triggered road closures, power outages and extreme cold. Major highways, including the Karakoram Highway, were blocked at multiple locations due to snow, avalanches and landslides, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded. In upper Hunza and other remote areas, residents reported shortages of food, fuel and medicines as temperatures dropped below minus 20 degrees Celsius.
In Murree, around 15 inches of snowfall was recorded, prompting authorities to close the Murree Expressway and restrict entry into the hill station. Meanwhile, Quetta experienced the coldest night of the winter, with temperatures plunging to minus 13 degrees Celsius, severely affecting daily life amid gas shortages and power outages.
Read More: Heavy snow, thunderstorms grip Pakistan
The Pakistan Meteorological Department has forecast more rain and snowfall from Sunday to Tuesday, warning of further drops in temperature across several parts of the country.