Murree received heavy snowfall on Saturday. As a result of this snowfall many tourists were stranded in their vehicles in snow fall and succumbed to cold weather.
PM Imran Khan expressed ‘shock’ on this tragedy and blamed people for going to Murree without checking the weather condition. According to him such rush of people caught district administration unprepared.
Tweet by PM Imran Khan put people on fire and it was like ‘added insult to injury’. They said by blaming people he is saving his government and administration, but it won’t help him and what he has done is unpardonable.
2) The tweet by PM Imran Khan has added insult to injury. By blaming people and saying govt was caught "unawares" boggles the mind with its sheer insensitivity & callousness. What the govt has done is unpardonable & how it's reacting is equally worse #Murree (2/5)
— Fahd Husain (@Fahdhusain) January 8, 2022
It is worth noting here, there was not forecasting of such heavy snowfall in Murree by the PDM.
No planning in the anticipation of snowfall and tourists rush. There was no early warning system , and no rescue capability when people got stuck. This is really criminal negligence ! #Murree
— Maria Memon (@Maria_Memon) January 8, 2022
Celebrities offered their condolences on this tragic death while on the other hand journalists and other media personnel lambasted government for its poor administration.
مری سانحے کی ذمہ داری مکمل طور پہ انتظامیہ پر ہے۔
— Shafaat Ali (@iamshafaatali) January 8, 2022
So it’s only visitors fault?What’s the mechanism to alert people who enter these areas? No responsibility of the gvt #Murree https://t.co/LLJQ9JZGym
— Asma Shirazi (@asmashirazi) January 8, 2022
In this tragedy 21 people perished, the area had been declared as calamity-stricken. ASI, Naveed Iqbal along with his family was on the trip to Murree to enjoy snowfall, died in this cold weather.
The last message of ASI surfaced in which he said, “We have been stuck for the past 18 hours,” he can be heard saying in his last telephonic conversation. “God willing, everything would be fine if the system starts working. We are in great distress,”
After deaths of tourists, federal government took action on it by sending Army troops to evacuate the area. Interior Minister, Sheikh Rasheed stopped people from going on trips to Murree and Galiyat. Fawad Chaudhary also asked people to cancel their trips as the weather condition is not good in Murre and Galyat.
The death toll of Murree tourists is continuously soaring while Army operation and evacuation is still underway.
