Daily Times

As snow is falling in Murree intermittently, the city administration has closed all connecting roads to the hilly station and banned tourists’ entry after 5pm. A new spell of snowfall is continued in Murree and since morning, the hilly resort has received over 6 inches snow. After recent blizzard tragedy here in which at least 22 stranded tourists died, the administration has become very careful.

The Rawalpindi Chief Traffic Officer said that as many as 1170 vehicles of tourists had entered Murree but the traffic police would not allow more than 8,000 vehicles. He said for the safety of vacationers, the administration had closed road from Kaldana to Gulyat. He asked the tourists to take a substitute route.

He said after it becomes slippery the Masyari Link Road had also been closed. He said that vacationers could enter from Lower Topa. According to the Metrological office report, snowfall will continue to hit Murree for two days.

Besides Murree, snowfall is also continued in Azad Kashmir, Rawalakot, Gulyat, Thandyani, Lipa Valley, Upper Neelum and Abbottabad. The land contact with Lipa and Upper Neelum valleys is disconnected. There is not electric supply in Gulyat, Thandyani. As almost one-foot snow has lashed Murree road, the administration has closed the road and other connecting roads.

Chitral, Lawari Tunnel has also been shut due to slippery. A rainy spell has continued all across the country. The rains have brought chill to already cold weather. Intermittent rans are soaking Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Gujrat, Jhelum, Sargodha, Wazirabad, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura, Narowal, Sialkot, Arifwala and other suburban areas.

Rain has also lashed Lahore since yesterday. The low-lying areas in the city have been submerged in rainwater. The power feeders keep on tripping due to intermittent rain.