GILGIT, April 16: A speedy avalanche killed three brothers in Haramoush village, some 35km east of here, on early Saturday, also killing their 57 goats and cows.

A villager, Shahid Hussain, told journalists over telephone that the avalanche hit a house in the village when its inmates were asleep.

It killed Shabeer Hussain, 21, Khushdil Hussain, 18, and Hamid Hussain on the spot but their mother and another brother escaped unhurt.

The avalanche also hit their cattle pen in the backyard of the house and killed the cattle.

Shahid Hussain said that the victims had been buried in the village by hundreds of the mourners.

He added that avalanches had destroyed roads in Sussi, Barchi and Khaltaru villages and suspended vehicular traffic on Gilgit-Skardu road.

DEMAND: Over two dozens ad hoc employees working in hotels, owned by the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC), in the Northern Areas have demanded that the government should regularize their services.

The ad hoc employees said that they had been working at the PTDC motels in Rama Lake (Astore), Phander and Gupis motels in Ghizer district, Satpara and K-2 motels in Skardu district for the past seven years on the assurances given to them that they would be regularized but to the day the PTDC authorities had not fulfilled their promises.