RAWALPINDI: A team appointed up to investigate the Murree tragedy has discovered that when a blizzard hit the hill station last week, 20 of the 29 available snow clearing vehicles were idling near Sunny Bank.
The four-member inquiry team has recorded the testimony of local administration, operational officers, and Rescue 1122 authorities, according to sources familiar with the situation.
The inquiry also revealed that the snow clearing vehicles’ drivers and other workers were not on duty.
In light of the Met Office’s weather alerts, the committee noted the failure of key departments, particularly the forest department, to take preventative steps.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) issued an advisory on January 6 deeming the weather unsafe with clear forewarnings of an impending snowstorm, directing the concerned departments to close the roads leading to the tourist attraction – the site of the tragic incident on January 9 that claimed 23 lives.
According to the report, the district administration only prevented roughly 50,000 vehicles from entering Murree during the snowstorm.
According to the sources, Deputy Commissioner Rawalpindi Muhammad Ali, additional deputy commissioner, CPO Sajid Kayani, Chief Traffic Officer Timur Khan, field officers of traffic police, assistant commissioner Murree, National Highway Authority (NHA) officials, and motorway police officers testified before the committee led by additional chief secretary.
The investigation report will most likely be presented to the Punjab chief minister on Monday, and action would be taken against individuals responsible for the disaster based on the findings, according to the statement.
