Authorities blame families who found themselves snow-covered and deceased for “not checking the weather”

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A man stands next to a snow-covered car stuck on a road 24 miles northeast of Islamabad. A blizzard in the Pakistani city of Murree has left 22 tourists dead after being trapped by heavy snowfall inside their cars. PHOTO: Aamir QURESHI / AFP

The Pakistani government has been criticized for “victim blame” and neglect after 22 tourists trapped in their cars were killed in a blizzard in the popular Pakistani tourist destination and mountainous town of Murree on January 8.

The dead included 10 children, a policeman and seven members of his family. Some of them froze to death while others died of carbon monoxide poisoning, authorities said.

Videos that circulated on social media over the weekend showed people stranded in snow-covered cars on winding roads in the hill town about 24 miles from the capital Islamabad.

In one of his last phone calls, hapless policeman Naveed Iqbal can be heard saying, “There are children in all the cars stuck here. They are crying. There has been no water or food since the morning, the children are in a sorry state.

Some people blamed the tourist town authorities for the incident. “It was my worst experience. Managing this area, they are responsible for all of us, ”Aafia Ali, a tourist from Karachi, told Dawn News.

In recent days, despite severe weather warnings issued by the Pakistan Meteorological Department, more than 100,000 cars have been allowed to cross road tolls to enter Murree in Punjab province.

Three days before the incident, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry hailed the number of tourists rushing to the hill station in a tweet, saying the increase in tourism was a testament to the economic prosperity of “the common man. “.

The authorities, meanwhile, blamed the disaster on the large number of tourists. In a tweet, Prime Minister Imran Khan wrote: “Shocked and shocked by the tragic deaths of tourists on the road to Murree. Unprecedented snowfall and an influx of people advancing without checking the weather conditions caught the district administrator off guard. Have ordered an investigation and put in place strict regulations to ensure the prevention of such tragedies. ”

Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid said the tragedy occurred due to the large number of tourists entering the city.

The government’s response has been strongly condemned by opposition leaders, journalists and users of social media. They accused the state of “blaming the victims” and shirking responsibility for their shortcomings in tourism regulations and disaster management in the colonial-era city.

Critics said the government had strongly encouraged tourism but had proven ill-equipped to handle the influx of families eager to see the snow and was unprepared for an emergency.

“This was a criminal act of negligence and inefficiency, and cannot be pardoned. When the Met Office warned of excessive snowfall, what action did the government take? Opposition politician Shehbaz Sharif said at a meeting of the National Assembly. “They said the administration was not prepared. If so, then why are you here? Resign and go home.

The aftermath of the blizzard that left Murree, a hill town first established by British settlers in 1853, blanketed in snow. Photo: Aamir QURESHI / AFP

Members of opposition parties have called for the formation of an independent judicial inquiry into the events leading up to the deaths.

On January 9, Punjab’s Chief Minister Usman Buzdar announced the creation of a five-member committee to investigate the shortcomings that led to the tragedy. Provincial government spokesman Azhar Mashwani said the committee “will complete the investigation and determine responsibility [within] seven days.”

The committee must determine whether adequate traffic flow measures were in place and whether the weather warnings were being issued sufficiently. The chief minister of the province also announced his intention to grant Murree district status to ensure better administration, and for the establishment of two police stations and two new parking lots in the heart of the city.

A preliminary investigation report submitted to the provincial government found that roads in and around the hill station had not been repaired in the past two years.

A day after the tragic deaths, army rescuers cleared roads around Murree, finally putting an end to the ordeal. Thousands of stranded tourists had been accommodated by locals.

Meanwhile, some observers accused hotels of taking advantage of the disaster by sharply increasing room rental fees, which would have forced people to simply sleep in their cars. The #BoycottMurree hashtag began appearing on Twitter in response to the allegations. Murree Hotel Association president Raja Irfan has dismissed claims that exorbitant hotel rents have resulted in the deaths of tourists.

Follow Rimal Farrukh on Twitter.

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