Pakistan: At least 20 tourists killed by snowstorm

Nine children were killed among them

pakistan0801 Accident, Death, Children, PAKISTAN

At least 20 tourists have been killed in a blizzard at a resort in northeastern Pakistan, including nine children.

The tourists, who were "stuck" in traffic jams during the snowstorm, were excluded and several of them were "buried" in their cars, while others suffered from a "food crisis", according to Pakistani Interior Minister Rashid Ahmad.

Rashid added that the government had called on the army and armed forces to lead the emergency rescue operations, for "almost a thousand" vehicles that remained trapped outside the resort.

All roads to Mouri will be closed to tourists, while traffic will only be allowed to those working to help those trapped.

The heavy snowfall started on Tuesday night and continued at regular intervals, leading thousands of tourists to the resort, Reuters reported. However, many families were stranded on the streets due to the large number of visitors, with local media reporting that more than 100.000 vehicles were found on the road to Mouri.

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said he had ordered an investigation into the incident, adding that there had been "unprecedented snowfall" and that "people were rushing to travel to the area without checking the weather".

Source: Protothema.gr