Imran meets avalanche victims

Islamabad: The death toll in the massive avalanches and snow-related incidents in Pakistan and PoK rose to 111 on Wednesday as authorities deployed the Army to step up rescue efforts and to provide humanitarian aid to those hit by the harsh weather conditions in the country.
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday visited Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to meet the victims hit by avalanches and assess the damage caused by the natural calamity, which so far has claimed the lives of 100 people across Pakistan.
Pakistan-occupied Kashmir’s (PoK) Neelum valley is reported to be the worst hit as avalanches continued to damage hundreds of building in the area, the Geo News reported.
The snow-related incidents have also claimed the lives of twenty people in Balochistan and at least seven in Sialkot and other districts of Punjab over the past few days, according to officials.
Khan also visited the Combined Military Hospital in Muzaffarabad and met those injured in the avalanches. During his visit, he received a briefing from the PoK’s chief secretary Mathar Niaz Rana regarding the damages incurred due to snowfall and avalanches in the region as well as the relief efforts undertaken, it was reported. (PTI)