Heavy snowfall paralyses life in Gilgit Baltistan  

GILGIT BALTISTAN: Parts of Gilgit Baltistan have received heavy snowfall again on Tuesday, bad weather and heavy snowfall are further hampering relief efforts in earthquake-hit areas especially district Astore and Skardu.

During the fresh spell of snow Astore district has received two feet snow, while more than three feet snow engulfed Skardu. Extremely harsh cold weather, chilling winds and snowfall are multiplying the miseries of people and creating obstacles in the relief operations.

The sources said the fresh snowfall continued without any break and paralyzed the routine life and disrupted traffic and communication between entire Astore and Skardu. The road connecting Gilgit to Astore and Skardu has also been blocked following the snow avalanches and land sliding.

Area people accused that government machinery has been continued their operations much slow to provide relief as they are trying to clear the roads.

Sources informed as the rains and snowfall continued to punish the people across the region there was total confusion as to which department is responsible for providing relief to the people.

It said the officials of both the districts and center city government were not ready to accept the responsibility of providing relief to the people.

People of the affected districts compelled to spend lives in the lowest minimum temperature today recorded at Skardu -17°Ceilsius and Astore, -12°C.

The survivors could not sleep in their homes owing to aftershocks in the severe cold. The quake-hit people of GB demanded of the federal government and Chief Minister Gilgit Baltistan to resolve their issues at earliest.