Daily Times

Pakistan Army rescued seven persons, trapped after heavy snowfall in Upper Kohistan district, with the help of a helicopter on Sunday.

According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, these persons went missing because of heavy snowfall in the area on Saturday.

Media wing of the armed forces, the Inter Services Public Relations 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,” said the ISPR.

The district police officer on Saturday said the missing people were excavating Peridot gemstone. The DPO said family of the missing persons had contacted the deputy commissioner for help.

According to Inter-Services Public Relations, the rescue operation was under taken early morning at 3:15am under extreme weather conditions and the marooned tourists, who called for help through the media, were shifted to 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. The Pakistan Army and Pakistan Air Force on Tuesday dispatched rescue teams to rescue the stranded travelers in Nathia Gali.

Published in Daily Times, January 28^th 2019.