Avalanche kills 21 in Pakistan-administered Kashmir

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan( AA) - At least 21 people were killed and 17 injured after an avalanche that struck a village in Pakistani-administered Kashmir, the government said on Tuesday.

Rescue operations were launched for another 10 victims who are missing after the incident, which occurred in the mountainous Neelam Valley on Monday evening, according to a statement by the State Disaster Management Authority of Azad Kashmir.

The avalanche destroyed several houses, the statement added, as heavy rains and snowfall pounding the area have caused trouble for rescuers.

Meanwhile, 36 people have been killed and dozens injured due to heavy rains, avalanches and landslides in different parts of the country over four days, local broadcaster Dawn News reported.

However, the National Disaster Management Authority put the death toll at 27 and injured 29.

Some 15 deaths have been reported from the southwestern Balochistan province, where landslides and heavy snowfall have blocked several major highways.

The remaining casualties, mainly due to roof collapses, were reported from northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in the northeastern Punjab provinces of Azad Kashmir, and the Gilgit-Baltistan region.

Footage aired on local TV channel, Geo News, showed dozens of vehicles stuck due to heavy snow on a major highway that connects the capital of Balochistan, Quetta, with the port city of Karachi.

The country's army also rescued locals and tourists stranded due to snow in Balochistan.

Pakistan's northern and southwestern areas are in the grip of severe cold and unusual snowfall this year with temperatures plummeting to minus 20C (minus 4F) in some areas.

The country's Meteorological Department forecast more rains and snowfall over the next couple of days.