MUZAFFARABAD, Jan 4: Helicopters resumed relief work in quake-hit areas on Wednesday after a suspension of three days owing to bad weather, but meteorological department said that cold snap might grip the region again in next three to five days.
“After three straight days of rain and snow, the weather has fortunately turned clement today and helicopters have resumed flights to deliver relief materials to forward areas,” military spokesman Major Farooq Nasir told Dawn.
Copters are ferrying food items, blankets, warm clothes, medicines and iron sheets to high altitude villages in Neelum and Jhelum valleys which have been again rendered inaccessible due to landslides on roads triggered by rain.
“Today the helicopters have made 95 sorties. Weather permitting, we will get additional helicopters from tomorrow onwards,” Major Nasir said.
The Neelum valley road, he said, had been cleared up to the Nauseri town earlier in the day but it was again blocked in the evening by a landslide near Kahori, about 10km from here.
He said the Jhelum valley road had also been cleared up to Hattian Bala earlier in the day but it too was blocked again by a landslide near Tandali village, some 12km from here.
“The sodden mountains are continuously sliding down at some point, but army engineers are working round the clock to keep the tracks open,” he said, adding that relief goods were also being transported by road.
He pointed out that that foodstuff and other vital supplies stocked in mountain villages were enough to last at least one week. “There is nothing to be alarmed about.”
According to the Met department, a cold snap is likely to grip quake-hit areas in next three to five days.
Aid agencies have cautioned that thousands of tents being used could not withstand harsh weather.
