North West Frontier Province
The North-West Frontier Province (NWFP; ps, شمال لویدیځ سرحدي ولایت, ) was a Chief Commissioner's Province of British India, established on 9 November 1901 from the north-western districts of the Punjab Province. Followin ...
,
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
on February 17, 2010, striking the village of Bagaro Serai and killing at least 38 people.
Incident
The
avalanche
An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a slope, such as a hill or mountain.
Avalanches can be set off spontaneously, by such factors as increased precipitation or snowpack weakening, or by external means such as humans, animals, and earth ...
came down on at least four houses in the remote village, which has been struck by heavy snow storms in recent days. According to local officials, rescue teams faced difficulties getting into the village as all the roads were blocked due to the avalanche and further landslides. Police and volunteers had to hike through the night to reach the scene of the avalanche and the police faced communication problems as radio reception was hampered by the mountainous terrain. A search for stranded people was being conducted and a request had been made to send a helicopter and heavy machinery to the village to assist in the rescue operation.
Response
Prime Minister
Yousaf Raza Gilani
Yusuf Raza Gilani (Urdu
Urdu (;"Urdu" '' He has directed authorities to speed up the rescue operation and the safe evacuation of trapped people in the village.