Rainfall, snow hit quake areas: Relief flights grounded
MUZAFFARABAD, Jan 1: Snow and rain across northern areas grounded relief flights on Sunday, giving earthquake survivors and rescuers their first big test of the winter. The rain began in Muzaffarabad on Saturday night and residents woke to a wet, misty New Year’s Day.
Higher up the mountains, several inches of snow blanketed the countryside and those trying to eke out survival in flimsy shelters and tents.
The vital air relief operation was grounded for only the second time this winter but some aid deliveries were still being made by road, officials said.
Although relief workers fear that wet, freezing weather will trigger fresh landslides, they say they are prepared.
“We’re well ahead of where anyone expected us to be. We can have pretty lengthy periods of bad weather and it’s not going to be a panic,” said Natasha Hryckow, UN logistics chief in Muzaffarabad.
In the remote Allai Valley in North West Frontier province, hardy villagers, most of whose homes were destroyed in the quake, are confident of survival.
“Rain and snowfall have compounded our misery and it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep our shelters warm,” Mohammad Maskeen, a labourer, said outside his tent in the devastated city of Muzaffarabad.
“Chilly cold winds have started and we are scared how our children will spend the nights in this freezing weather,” said Maskeen who lost his brother, niece and a grandmother in the deadly quake.
“It is a miserable life as the tent that I have got is not winterised and would collapse with the weight of snow.”
Mohammad Salman, a student of telecommunications engineering, said he could not study in his chilly tent especially during the night when temperature drops below freezing.
“It is not possible to make a fire in the tent to keep it warm because it is dangerous and several tent blazes have killed many people this month,” Salman said.
The government in collaboration with UN aid agencies is setting up community kitchens for survivors so that they do not cook food in tents.
Survivors said they dread the prospect of a prolonged rainy and snowy spell.
“If rain and snowfall persist that would bring another tragedy in the area,” said Sheikh Mohammad Shafique, 45, who lives in a tent on the outskirts of the city.
The meteorological department forecast widespread rain and widespread snow over the mountains above 5,000 feet during the next two days.
The temperatures in the villages above 5,000 feet are expected to drop as minus two Celsius to minus six degrees Celsius, an official said.—Reuters/AFP
MUZAFFARABAD, Jan 1: Snow and rain across northern areas grounded relief flights on Sunday, giving earthquake survivors and rescuers their first big test of the winter. The rain began in Muzaffarabad on Saturday night and residents woke to a wet, misty New Year’s Day.
