Search, rescue operation continues to evacuate tourists stranded in Murree

Murree: Pakistan army personnel in association with the Punjab police and rescue services on Saturday conducted search and rescue operation to evacuate tourists stranded in Murree.

Officers and soldiers of Army School of Technicians and Army School of Logistics actively participated in rescue of tourists.

Rescue parties were deployed between Barian and Kuldana, including surroundings areas.

All vehicles were searched on road to see presence of any individual. The army personnel recovered ten stranded dead bodies from the vehicles.

About 3,000 tourists were rescued in assistance with locals and Rescue 1122. Tourists were provided with food, water and first aid.

Road clearance parties were also formulated to manually clear the Barian-Kuldana road.

Accoridng to the Punjab police spokesman, Rawalpindi district and traffic police are continuing to assist tourists in Murree.

He said 90 percent of roads in Murree have been cleared, children and families have been removed from the vehicles and shifted at government guest houses and safe places.  

Citizens are being provided food, dried fruits, medicines, warm clothes and other essentials.   Punjab Police Spokesperson further said that 157665 vehicles entered Murree from last Sunday till yesterday out of which 123920 vehicles got out of Murree since last evening.

There were 33745 vehicles in Murree till Saturday evening.  According to the spokesperson of Punjab Police, 33373 vehicles have been rescued and evacuated during the last 24 hours, while in Murree, besides the vehicles of locals, empty tourist vehicles are stuck in the snow which are being evacuated.  

The express highway is  completely clear,  traffic on the old GT Road is slow.  Snow removal on the road from Kaldana to Barian is in progress.  Troops are stationed at the entrances to the 17-mile toll plaza, Phalgaran Toll Plaza and GT Road.  

All emergency services vehicles, including ambulances, are allowed to enter and exit Murree.  Roads are being cleared by removing snow from the roads in collaboration with the district administration.  The road is getting difficult due to falling trees and heavy snowfall.  

On the orders of Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar and Inspector General of Punjab Police Punjab Rao Sardar Ali Khan, relief activities of Rawalpindi police and traffic police are in full swing to help the stranded tourists in Murree and Galyat.  

More than 24,000 vehicles were rescued on the Murree highways in the last 24 hours. The continuous snowfall, falling trees on the road and slippery roads caused difficulties.  

Traffic wardens are pulling chains on the tires of tourist vehicles stuck in the snow, while tourists are being pulled out by snow bikes at places where snow freezes on the road.  

The spokesperson further said hundreds of traffic police and Rawalpindi police personnel are assisting the families stranded on the highways and  police provided essential items such as warm clothes, food, dried fruits and biscuits to the families stranded in snow and vehicles.

According to the DSP Traffic, the main highways of Murree are clear and relief work of clearing snow on roads , evacuation of vehicles is underway in Galyat.

On the direction of the IG Punjab, supervisory officers and hundreds of personnel were present in the field since last night. Rawalpindi police will continue rescue and relief work till the last vehicle of tourists stranded in the snow is removed.