Avalanche kills nine in northwest Pakistan amid heavy snowfall

An avalanche triggered by heavy snowfall in northwest Pakistan killed nine people on Friday, officials reported, as severe winter weather stranded hundreds and prompted large-scale rescue efforts in remote, mountainous regions.

Details of the Fatal Avalanche

The deadly snow slide struck a residential house in Domail town, located within the Chitral district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. According to local administration officials cited by Pakistani media, the victims included five men and four women. One child was also injured in the incident.

Mass Strandings and Rescue Operations

The heavy snowfall has led to widespread road closures, trapping numerous vehicles and people across northwestern and southwestern Pakistan. A major rescue operation is ongoing in the restive Tirah valley of Khyber district, near the Afghan border, where nearly 100 vehicles were stranded. Security forces and rescue teams have been deployed to assist. A district official stated that while women and children from the stranded convoys have been moved to safety, over a dozen vehicles remain trapped as snow continues to fall.

Context of Displacement and Further Warnings

Many of those stranded in Tirah valley were reportedly residents displacing ahead of a planned military operation in an area long plagued by militant activity. Separate rescue efforts have also extracted hundreds of people from snowbound areas in Kohistan and Zhob districts. The Pakistan Meteorological Department has forecast additional rain and snowfall for the northern and southwestern parts of the country over the next 24 to 48 hours.