The death toll from snow-related deaths climbed to 71 on Tuesday as severe weather continued across the country bringing life to a standstill.
According to a statement by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) at least 55 people have been killed in Azad Kashmir due to weather related deaths.
Furthermore, the NDMA said 19 people have died in an avalanche while 10 others were still missing.
Four injured have been recovered from the rubble, an NDMA spokesperson said.
“49 bodies were removed from collapsed buildings in Muzaffarabad,” Ahmad Raza Qadri, the Khyber Pakhtunkhawa chief of provincial disaster management said.
“Rescue operation is under way with the help of Pakistan Army,” Qadri said, adding that due to the severe weather conditions the rescue operations were hampered.
He added the injured were shifted in Pakistan Army helicopters to nearby hospitals.
Hundreds of passengers, including women and infants, were stuck on the roads in harsh weather on Monday night as a massive snowstorm wreaked havoc in different parts of Balochistan.
Levies officials said that more than 500 passengers were stranded in Kan Mehtarzai area of Killa Saifullah district, where temperatures dipped to as low as -14°C while heavy snowfall and strong winds almost buried cars on the main National Highway.
The MET Office has forecast cold and dry weather for most parts of Balochistan for the next 24 hours.
