2 Killed, 16 More Stranded by Avalanche in Naran Valley, Pakistan Yesterday

Yesterday, 2 miners were killed and 16 others stranded when a moderate sized avalanche struck an active mine in the Naran Valley area which is located in the north-east corner of Pakistan. The town of Naran is situated at 8208 feet above sea level and according to a laborer at the ruby mine who talked to The Express Tribune, “the area where the avalanche happened is at a distance of three hours on foot from the main village.”

The Naran Valley area of Pakistan, a popular tourist area, was hit with heavy precipitation over the weekend. As much as 52mm of water fell in nearby cities of Abbottabad, Balakot and Kohat while over two feet of snow fell in Naran. All the precipitation caused avalanches and mudslides that forced the closure of the highway into the region thus stranding over 1000 tourists in addition to the local population while blocking food, supplies and aid. 

According to the Inter Services Public Relations office over 200 military and non-military relief workers were sent to the area to clear the road and help bring stranded individuals out of the area. Also, information provided by the top police official in the district to local news outlet AFP states, “More than 1,200 people have so far been evacuated but still some 800 to 1,000 people are stranded there and rescue work is ongoing.”