Hundreds rescued from cars in deadly Pakistan snow
At least 22 people have died, including a family of eight and another family of five
Hundreds of people who were trapped in vehicles in a deadly snowfall have been moved to safety as rescuers scramble to clear roads in northern Pakistan.
Police said as many as 500 families had been stranded as would-be tourists rushed to view the winter snowfall in the hilltop town of Murree, report BBC.
At least 22 people have died, including a family of eight and another family of five, officials said.
The heavy snowfall on Friday felled trees and blocked roads in and out of Murree.
All of those who survived after becoming trapped in their vehicles are now said to be safe, with some placed in shelters set up in the resort town, which sits at 2,300 metres (7,500 feet) above sea level.
Gas and water supplies are running low in the area, but local residents and restaurants are helping with accommodation, food and blankets.
Tariq Ullah, an official in the nearby town of Nathiagali, told AFP news agency that the blizzard had delivered four to five feet of snow within just a few hours.
"It was not snow, and not even heavy snow, it was unprecedented," he said. "There were strong winds, uprooted trees, avalanches. People around were terrified."
Vehicles became trapped on narrow roads near the hilltop town of Murree on Friday morning
Emergency services were first alerted to families becoming stranded on Friday morning.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Imran Khan said he was "shocked and upset at [the] tragic deaths" of the tourists, noting how the snowfall and the "rush of [people] proceeding without checking weather conditions caught district admin unprepared".
Murree was built by the British in the 19th century as a medical base for its colonial troops.
