A 70-year-old man was pulled out alive from under the snow in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Astore district on Sunday, nearly 28 hours after an avalanche struck the valley, rescue officials said. Eight people, including four women and a child, were killed in the avalanche on Saturday morning.
Officials said the victims were nomads, who were moving towards Astore from Azad Kashmir, and had set up camp in the area along with their cattle. They all belonged to various areas of Punjab. WAZIR Asad Ali, media officer for Astore Rescue 1122, said that officials had managed to rescue the remaining three people and had shifted them to the DHQ Hospital Astore.
He said 70-year-old Muhammad Hussain was the last person to be rescued, almost 28 hours after the avalanche hit the valley. “All three rescued persons are being treated and are stable now,” Ali added. The official further said that the rescue operation had ended and the bodies were being sent to Punjab. Ali added that the Pakistan Army and police had assisted the local administration and rescue personnel in the rescue.—INP
