MIRPUR (AJK): Jan 13 (APP) :At least five persons including two women were buried alive and three others injured, in two separate incidents of snow avalanches in the snow-clad Neelam valley of Azad Jammu Kashmir during the last 24 hours, official sources said.
AJK President Sardar Masood Khan, has, on Monday expressed deep sense of shock and grief over the killing of five persons in the tragic incident in the stormy rains.
Official sources told APP Monday evening that three persons including two ladies, belonging to a single family lost their lives after three of the houses collapsed having been hit by a snow avalanche in village Keil Kudyaan Baila of the Neelam valley in wee hours of Monday.
In an identical tragic mishap, two kids including a minor girl were killed and three other school children were injured after they got buried in a horrible snow avalanche in Lawaat Bala area of the snow-clad Neelam valley.
Three of the school children were rescued by the locals immediately. They met the mishap while moving to their school this morning, the sources said.
Various parts of Azad Jammu Kashmir including the upper reaches of the state including Leepa and Neelam vallies are in the grip of heavy snow fall and torrential rains since the mid last night.
The stormy weather badly hit the daily life particularly in the snow-clad upper parts of the state including Neelam, Leepa vallies as well as Bagh and Havaili districts particularly.
The AJK president has directed the local administration besides the state health department for providing every possible relief and assistance besides due Medicare to all rain-hit population including those injured in the tragic incidents.
Sardar Masood particularly advised for taking precautionary measures for the safety of lives and properties of the citizens in the calamity-hit area.
