Four people were killed in Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan when a tower collapsed on a house following heavy snowfall in Diamer, while one person died in the country's Balochistan province after a roof caved in due to downpour in Zhob, Report informs via Dawn.
Police said a "clock/observation tower" near a residential home in Tangir Valley in Diamer collapsed on a house, resulting in the death of four members of a family and injuries to two other members.
Diamer Deputy Commissioner Ataur Rehman Kakar said heavy snowfall occurred in Tangir on Thursday, which might have caused the incident. According to police sources, the casualties could rise as the relief operation continued.
The Karakoram Highway (KKH), Baltistan Road, Ghizer–Shandur Road and other roads were opened to traffic on Saturday, while link roads in various areas of the region, including Astore, Skardu, Ghanche, Ghizer and Shigar, remained blocked.
Due to the cold weather, people in Gilgit-Baltistan continued to face difficulties, which were compounded by road closures and electricity shortages. The GB government issued a travel advisory for tourists, stating that heavy snowfall had been recorded in Hunza, Nagar, Ghizer, Astore, Skardu, Shigar, Ghanche, Kharmang and Diamer.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), meanwhile, predicted more rain and snowfall in various parts of the country till Tuesday. The advisory said that due to continuous snowfall, there was a risk that some roads in the upper and mountainous areas would be partially or completely closed. It asked tourists and residents to take precautions.
In Zhob, a child was killed and two sustained injuries in a roof-collapse incident, while more than six people were admitted to hospitals after accidents caused by slippery road conditions following snowfall.
In Quetta, the cold wave continued as Siberian winds lashed the provincial capital and other parts of northern and central Balochistan for the third day.