At least 104 people died in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&K), Gilgit Baltistan and Balochistan in various incidents following heavy snowfall and rains, authorities said.
An official statement issued by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Thursday, around 77 people has died in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and 56 has injured whereas 202 houses has been damaged due to avalanches in the Neelum district.
However, no further causalities are reported yet in Balochistan where 20 casualties has recorded with 23 injured.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa five people has died and 13 has injured with a total of 31 houses damaged due to heavy snowfall.
In Gilgit Baltistan, two deaths has reported with four injured and three houses have damaged.
The details of relief items comprising tonnes of ration, water, tents, first aid kits and many other necessary items have been already released by the NDMA, Provincial Disaster Management Authorities (PDMAs), Gilgit Baltistan Disaster Management Authoirty (GBDMA) and State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) for the affected people of catastrophe hit areas.
A total of 1,957 tents, 1,250 blankets, tarpaulins 400, ration of 13.6 tonnes, plastic mats 2,250, sheets 150, solar lights 550, kitchen sets 100, mattresses 150, 300 sleeping mats, miscellaneous clothing 2,700, shoes 350, first aid kits 250, lanterns 50, 60 tonnes of salt and 1,000 liters of water has provided to the victims.
The report said the heavy snowfall in KP, AJK and GB has wreaked damages of life and property whereas avalanches were occurred in Surgan, Kel, Lawat, Chaknat, Neelum Valley and AJK.
Over a dozen of various roads and highways are blocked in AJK, Balochistan, KP and GB.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Alpuri to Khawazakhela Road, Mastuj Road in Upper Chitral, Local Roads in Upper Dir, Link Roads in District Abottabad, Kalabagh-Nathiagali Road, MNJ-Naran Road and Karakoram Highway (KKH)in District Kohistan are blocked.
In Balochistan, Killa Abdullah Link Roads and N-50 Quetta-Kahnozai are still blocked due to heavy snowfall.
In AJK's Neelum Valley, Sharda Road, Bagh-Chikar Road, Bagh-Lasdana Road, Leepa Valley Road, Mehmoodgali-Abbaspur Road and Haji Peer-Aliabad Road are blocked due to heavy snowfall and avalanches. However, in GB Gilgit-Astore Road is blocked after heavy snowfall occurred in the area.
The NDMA report mentioned that efforts are in hand to clear the highways and link roads by all PDMAs, National Highway Authority, Frontier Works Organization and respective construction and works departments.
