MUZAFFARABAD: A teenage traveller trapped under an avalanche in the Gurez area of Neelum Valley was rescued alive by local residents with the help of army personnel after an hour-long effort on Saturday, police said.
According to details, a passenger jeep travelling from Kel to Halmat got stuck in a snow-covered section of the road at Seri Mor around 4:25pm.
As the passengers disembarked to push the vehicle free, an avalanche suddenly struck, sweeping it nearly 200 feet down to the right bank of the Neelum River.
One of the passengers, 16-year-old Usman, was buried under the snow, while the other three — Amjad, 25, Younus, 30, and the driver, Farooq, 27 — were carried down with the glacier to the riverbank, sustaining minor injuries.
However, after an hour of relentless efforts, locals and army personnel successfully pulled Usman out alive from beneath the snow.
Meanwhile, the Public Works Department has been actively clearing snow from roads in the Gurez region.
However, according to police, seven to eight inches of snow remained at the accident site, causing the vehicle to get stuck and triggering the incident.
Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2025
