Death Toll Reaches 78, Rescue, Relief Operation Continues

Death toll in stormy weather hit Neelum Valley of Azad Kashmir has reached to 78 as a six year old girl child Safia succumbed to her injuries at Combined Military Hospital (CMH) here on Thursday who was rescued yesterday from the area after 24 hours

MUZAFFARABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Jan, 2020 ) :Death toll in stormy weather hit Neelum Valley of Azad Kashmir has reached to 78 as a six year old girl child Safia succumbed to her injuries at Combined Military Hospital (CMH) here on Thursday who was rescued yesterday from the area after 24 hours.

She was suffering from head injuries due to collapse of her house under the avalanche in Surgan village of upper Neelum Valley.

Safia's family including parents and 6 saplings were died when the avalanche hit their house and she was the only member of the family who was rescued alive after 24 hours from the debris of collapsed house but could survive.

Meanwhile, nine more injured including women and children have been shifted at CMH Muzaffarabad on Thursday through military choppers from the avalanches hit areas and 13 tourists have also been evacuated by the military rescue teams through helicopters who had been stuck in area due to heavy snow fall.

The rescue and relief operation carried out by Pakistan Army remained continued on Thursday and food and other necessary items for more than hundred families were dropped in the affected area by helicopters who had been displaced due to the catastrophe in different villages of valley.

Besides rescue and relief, army teams and civil administration have started opening the roads in snow bond areas like Neelum and Leepa Valley with heavy machinery where thousands of families have been cut of from the towns and cities of Azad Kashmir due to heavy snowfall and may face shortages of food items.