MANSEHRA: Three members of a family, including a man and his teenage son, were buried alive under a mass of snow detached from a glacier when they were taking pictures at Sohni Waterfall near Naran here on Friday.

“We came from Mughalpura area of Lahore for a recreational trip. While taking photos at the waterfall, a massive chunk of snow broken off from a glacier and rolled down, burying three members of my family,” Mohammad Shafique, a survivor, told reporters at the Naran police station.

According to police and eyewitnesses, the family was visiting the popular tourist site when a heavy mass of snow suddenly broke off from a glacier and swept over them.

Police and local residents rushed to the site and after hectic efforts, managed to recover the bodies from beneath the snow.

The deceased were identified as Tahir Mehmood, 42, his son, Abu Bakar, 13, and Taib Shafique.

Mohammad Shafique and other family members escaped unhurt.

“It happened so suddenly. We had no time to react. The snow mass detached from glacier came crashing down, burying my son, brother-in-law, and his son within seconds,” Mr Shafique said.

He thanked the police and local authorities for retrieving the bodies and shifting them to the Basic Health Unit in Naran.

SHO Naran Israr Shah told reporters that arrangements were being made to transport the bodies to Lahore via ambulances provided by Rescue 1122.

He urged tourists to exercise caution when visiting waterfalls, riversides, and glacial zones.

“Police have already issued an advisory asking tourists to avoid going too close to the Kunhar River and glaciers during their visit to the Kaghan Valley,” Mr Shah said.

Published in Dawn, June 21st, 2025