Avalanche kills 18 in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - At least 18 people were killed after a large avalanche hit an alpine hamlet in Pakistan’s northwestern district of Kohistan, police said Thursday.

Kohistan police chief Mohammad Ilyas said a cluster of houses in Bagrodara village of Kohistan’s Kundia area were buried by the avalanche which struck Wednesday.

“Local people and a police team have retrieved 18 bodies, but the rescue operation is still going on,” Ilyas said. Authorities said many people might be still trapped under the snow.

The rescue efforts took several hours to start as there are no roads to the affected village, and policemen and volunteers had to hike through the night to reach the scene.

Iylas said the police were facing communication problems as radio reception was hampered by the mountainous terrain.

Pakistan’s northwestern region received heavy snowfall earlier this month after a prolonged dry spell, which had been threatening drought conditions in many areas.