Nine Members of a Family Killed in Snow Avalanche in Pakistan

The incident occurred on Friday afternoon (January 23) in Serigal village of the Damil area. Local authorities said heavy and continuous snowfall triggered the avalanche, sending large masses of snow down from nearby hills onto a single house.

Lower Chitral Deputy Commissioner Hashim Azim said more than 20 inches of snowfall had been recorded in the area before the avalanche occurred. The victims were identified as the homeowner Bacha Khan, his wife, three sons, two daughters, and two sisters-in-law. They were reportedly having dinner when the house was buried under snow.

According to a report by Pakistan’s daily Dawn, prolonged snowfall has severely disrupted life across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Road connectivity has been cut off in several areas, leaving hundreds of tourists stranded.

In the Chitral valley, snowfall has continued for more than 36 hours, affecting electricity, water supply, and rescue operations. Traffic on the Lowari Tunnel approach road was suspended for several hours due to heavy snow but was later restored after clearance work.

Provincial disaster management authorities said that despite harsh weather conditions, rescue teams have evacuated at least 17 people, including women and children, from affected areas.