A devastating avalanche tore through a remote mountain village in northwest Pakistan on Friday, killing nine people and leaving a trail of destruction as a severe winter storm pummels the region.
The disaster struck in the early hours in Domail, a small town in the high-altitude Chitral district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Local officials confirmed that the wall of snow completely engulfed a residence, claiming the lives of five men and four women. A young child was pulled from the wreckage with injuries and is currently receiving medical care.
The tragedy comes as heavy snowfall paralyzes much of the country’s northern and southwestern corridors. The weather has turned a routine transit into a survival situation for hundreds of travelers now trapped on impassable mountain passes.
In the Tirah valley of the Khyber tribal district, near the Afghan border, the situation is particularly dire. Army personnel have joined civil rescuers in a race against time to reach nearly 100 vehicles stranded in the deep powder.
Many of those caught in the valley were families fleeing their homes. They were attempting to relocate to safer areas ahead of a scheduled military operation in the restive region, where security forces have long been engaged in skirmishes with local militants.
“The snow is still falling heavily, making every foot of progress difficult,” a district official told reporters by phone. While most women and children have been evacuated from the vehicles to temporary shelters, dozens of trucks and cars remain buried under the drifts.
Similar rescue efforts are underway in the Kohistan and Zhob districts, where security forces have spent the last 24 hours digging out hundreds of stranded commuters. The sudden intensity of the storm caught many off guard, despite seasonal warnings.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department offered little hope for immediate relief. Forecasters say the current weather system is expected to persist for at least another 24 to 48 hours, bringing further heavy snow and rain to the already battered northern highlands.
As night falls over the Hindu Kush, the priority remains the recovery of those still isolated on the roads, with authorities warning residents in avalanche-prone areas to remain vigilant as the snowpack becomes increasingly unstable.
