GILGIT/QUETTA: Four people were killed in Gilgit-Baltistan when a tower collapsed on a house following heavy snowfall in Diamer, while one person died in Balochistan after a roof caved in due to downpour in Zhob.

Police said a “clock/observation tower” near a residential home in Tangir Valley in Diamer collapsed on a house, resulting in the death of four members of a family and injuries to two other members.

Diamer Deputy Commissioner Ataur Rehman Kakar said heavy snowfall occurred in Tangir on Thursday, which might have caused the incident. According to police sources, the casualties could rise as the relief operation continued.

The Karakoram Highway (KKH), Baltistan Road, Ghizer–Shandur Road and other roads were opened to traffic on Saturday, while link roads in various areas of the region, including Astore, Skardu, Ghanche, Ghizer and Shigar, remained blocked.

Met office forecasts more rain, snow in parts of country

Due to the cold weather, people in Gilgit-Baltistan continued to face difficulties, which were compounded by road closures and electricity shortages. The GB government issued a travel advisory for tourists, stating that heavy snowfall had been recorded in Hunza, Nagar, Ghizer, Astore, Skardu, Shigar, Ghanche, Kharmang and Diamer.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), meanwhile, predicted more rain and snowfall in various parts of the country till Tuesday. The advisory said that due to continuous snowfall, there was a risk that some roads in the upper and mountainous areas would be partially or completely closed. It asked tourists and residents to take precautions.

Zhob roof collapse

In Zhob, a child was killed and two sustained injuries in a roof-collapse incident, while more than six people were admitted to hospitals after accidents caused by slippery road conditions following snowfall.

In Quetta, the cold wave continued as Siberian winds lashed the provincial capital and other parts of northern and central Balochistan for the third day.

The sky was clear on Saturday, but the weather remained extremely cold amid low gas pressure, adding to people’s hardships. Business centres and roads in Quetta presented a deserted look as businesspeople and consumers preferred to stay indoors. Traffic was also thin.

LPG dealers, meanwhile, increased cylinder prices due to an increase in demand.

In order to provide relief, the Quetta Electric Supply Company (Qesco) announced the suspension of load-shedding in Quetta and the surrounding areas of the provincial capital for one week due to the severe cold weather, but people were not getting power supply in other cities of the province.

Due to the intense cold, water in pipelines froze in Quetta, Kalat, Chaman and Ziarat, leading to a shortage of drinking water in several areas. However, highways and inter-provincial roads that were blocked due to snow were opened by the local administration, but authorities asked people to check weather updates before travelling.

In many parts of the province, life had come to a standstill, particularly in Chaman, Qila Abdullah, Ziarat, Pishin, Toba Achakzai and other areas, as temperatures in the upper and Pak-Afghan border regions dropped to as low as minus 12 degrees Celsius.

The Met Office predicted that in the next 24 hours, more light and heavy rain was expected with icy winds in various districts, including Quetta, Kalat, Khuzdar, Chaman, Qila Abdullah, Qila Saifullah, Zhob, Pishin, Naushki, Kharan, Sibi, Nasirabad, Kachhi, Washuk, Dalbandin and the coastal areas of Makran, while Kan Mehtarzai, Muslim Bagh, Pishin, Toba Kakari, Toba Achakzai and Kalat could receive snowfall.

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2026