More than 20 people, all presumably tourists, have died due to the cold after their cars got stuck on snow-covered roads leading to a town called Murree, on the outskirts of Pakistan's capital, Islamabad.
Prime Minister Imran Khan said that he was "shocked & upset at tragic deaths of tourists on road to Murree".
"Unprecedented snowfall & rush of ppl proceeding without checking weather conditions caught district admin unprepared. Have ordered inquiry & putting in place strong regulation to ensure prevention of such tragedies," he tweeted.
As rescue operations commenced, soldiers managed to get people out of around 24,000 vehicles that were stranded due to heavy snow near the hill station town.
Blankets and food were provided.
Sardar Usman Buzdar, the chief minister of Punjab province, visited the site on Sunday, according to The Express Tribune.
"Every Pakistani is saddened by the tragic incident that took place in Murree. All sympathies of the Punjab government are with the families of the deceased," Buzdar stated.
Some victims could have possibly died of carbon monoxide poisoning overnight, rescue officials hypothesised. Ten children have also been confirmed dead.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Rawalpindi district management failed to take any preemptive measure despite warnings of heavy snowfall issued days before the tragedy, Dawn reported.
(With inputs from The Express Tribune and Dawn)
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