ISLAMABAD: In anticipation of the climate forecast and snow season in Murree tragedy this year, 4 preparatory conferences had been held with the aid of using the authorities. Unfortunately, none of them changed into attended with the aid of using both the Punjab leader minister or the commissioner Rawalpindi.
Official reassets advised The News that such a conferences changed into held below the deputy commissioner Rawalpindi on December 13, had been held with the aid of using the assistant commissioner Murree on November eight and November 30 respectively while one assembly changed into hung on the situation below the station commander Murree on November 30.
In a extreme lapse at the a part of the Mechanical Wing of the Punjab toll road branch, the snow clearance machines– sixteen in range –had been deputed at one point — Sunny Bank. – This changed into in opposition to the SOPs and the choice taken in an in advance assembly to depute those machines on exclusive strategic positions of Murree for the early clearing of essential roads.
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Additionally, the important thing officers of the Mechanical Wing of the toll road branch had been lacking from Murree after they had been badly wished withinside the metropolis and had been running machines from Rawalpindi. It is likewise learnt that drivers of the snow-slicing machines arrived late — most effective after the snowstorm ended; they did now no longer come earlier than or in the course of the snowstorm.
Prior to the snow season and no matter repeated requests, the highways production department did now no longer restore roads, which changed into one of the reasons for the blockage of traffic. There changed into additionally indifference at the a part of the National Highway Authority, which did now no longer take measures to take away snow from the Murree Expressway, especially in regions among Lower Topa and Patriyata.
This additionally prompted a blockage of the principle go out point. There had been no casualties on the Express Highway, Mall Road, Jhika Gali, Kashmir Point, Bhurban street and so forth withinside the snow fall on January 7. Cars coming from KP had been caught in a mean of 4-five ft snow on Barian Road wherein 22 human beings died in 5 vehicles because of the deficiency of oxygen as the warmers had been on withinside the vehicles.
The general range of vehicles caught at the roads changed into 820. The district management Rawalpindi (the deputy commissioner and CPO police) despatched again nearly 55,000 cars from the access factors and roads of Murree. This move, reassets stated, stored many lives. In 5 days, a complete of 150,000 cars entered Murree. It is stated that the Motorways Police did now no longer flip vehicles again from the specific toll road roads. According to the legit view, the incident changed into a end result of a snowstorm that engulfed Murree on January 7. According to the Met Office alert dated January five, heavy rain with snowstorm changed into anticipated in exclusive regions of the united states such as Rawalpindi and Murree particularly from January 6 to 9.
The Rawalpindi management Murree tragedy officers declare that the district management and all different allied businesses answerable for making ready for of any scenarios had been completely organized and had deployed each human and bodily assets at the floor to manipulate the climate and inflow of vacationers as planned. The range of vacationers getting into the metropolis limits changed into being monitored and documented with the aid of using all of the applicable businesses hour with the aid of using hour.
However, in line with those officers’ claims, the climate became violent on January 7 whilst a sturdy snowstorm, exceptional withinside the area, cloaked Murree. Owing to the growing climate, the deputy commissioner straight away ordered all roads main closer to Murree to be sealed. Both the deputy commissioner and metropolis police officer Rawalpindi joined their groups at the floor and commenced evacuating cars caught withinside the storm.
The snowstorm resulted withinside the felling of sixteen timber and 60 electric powered poles on the principle arteries of the metropolis which blocked the shifting traffic, stranding vacationers. These officers insist that rescue and alleviation efforts with the aid of using the management and police endured throughout the night. This covered evacuating cars, rescuing vacationers and supplying alleviation to the stranded individuals.
Till midday on January eight, eighty percentage Murree tragedy of the stranded cars have been rescued with the aid of using the civil businesses. In anticipation of the persevering with climate situation, the management referred to as for the help of the defense force in useful resource of the civil management to make sure the continuation of alleviation activities.