PESHAWAR: District administrations in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province launched rescue operations in multiple districts on Thursday as heavy snowfall triggered road closures and left several citizens stranded, rescue officials and the provincial disaster management authority (PDMA) said.

The PDMA said in a report that intermittent rainfall is expected from Jan. 21- 24 in various areas of the province, with heavy snowfall likely in the upper and hilly areas of the province during the same period. 

While the authority said no loss of life has been reported in the province so far, heavy snowfall has blocked the Tirah Road in Khyber District, resulting in several vehicles getting stranded. 

“The district administration is carrying out rescue operations to free the trapped vehicles,” the PDMA said. “Affected individuals are being provided food and passengers are being moved to safe locations with the help of local volunteers.”

The district administration in Swat, a popular tourist destination in KP, said the process of clearing snow from the Malam Jabba Road, Kalam and other areas was being carried out under the instructions of Deputy Commissioner Saleem Jan Marwat.

“For the convenience of tourists and the public, the relevant departments’ machinery and staff are working continuously to make the highways safe and usable for traffic as soon as possible,” the statement said. 

“The Swat district administration appeals to the public and tourists to exercise caution while traveling and to cooperate with the authorities.”

Separately, the Rescue 1122 said heavy snowfall had disrupted traffic on several roads in South Waziristan’s Ladha town. It said the Rescue 1122 Ladha team has immediately begun monitoring and clearing the roads with the help of a tractor.

It said no loss of life had been reported in the town, adding that the Rescue 1122 team has restored traffic flow and significantly reduced difficulties for the public.

Snowstorms have proven deadly in Pakistan in the past. At least 21 people, including children, died in January 2022 after they were stuck in freezing temperatures during a snowstorm in the Pakistani hill station of Murree. 

Tens of thousands of tourists flock to Pakistan’s scenic areas in northwestern KP to witness snowfall every winter, often neglecting warnings from disaster management authorities amid dangerous weather conditions.