Report reveals causes of Murree tragedy

LAHORE: Recently report was presented which disclosed the major causes that led to the death of tourists in Murree. 

The roads in and around the hill station had not been repaired for the last two years, causing the snow to accumulate in the crevices, causing the traffic jam, according to a preliminary investigation report into the Murree tragedy, in which 23 tourists ended up dead while stranded in their vehicles on Friday night.

According to the report, a slick place near a private cafe in Murree led to the main exit from the hill station, which was given to the Government of Punjab on Sunday. However, no government machinery was in place to clear the snow, allowing the tourists to evacuate.

It was also disclosed that tourists decided to leave their hotels and stay in automobiles due to power shortages in several parts of Murree. The movement of cars in Murree was prohibited on Saturday night attributable to the intervention of Capt (R) Muhammad Anwar ul Haq, Deputy Commissioner, Rawalpindi. Because of the traffic bottleneck on Murree's roadways, snow removal equipment drivers could not arrive on time.