Lowari avalanche: Efforts on to trace missing PTCL workers

CHITRAL: The rescue efforts continued to recover the bodies of the two Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) workers, who were buried by an avalanche near the Lowari Top two days back, officials said on Saturday.

Police said three PTCL workers including Nooruddin and his son Abdullah, were on their way to repair a telephone tower when the avalanche struck, burying them under the mass of snow.

The rescuers recovered the one worker alive.

“The Rescue 1122 emergency service staff and Chitral Scouts personnel have also joined the rescue efforts but the bodies of the father and son are yet to be recovered,” said an official.

According to Rescue 1122 spokesman, Bilal Ahmad Faizi, the Director General of the emergency service, Dr Asad Ali Khan, sent three teams from Chitral city, Swat and Mardan to the site to trace the two PTCL employees.

Bilal Faizi said the Rescue 1122 had to walk for three hours to reach the far-off site located at a high altitude.

He said the place where the rescue teams were searching for the PTCL employees the place was covered with heavy snow.

The Rescue 1122 spokesman said three teams of 10 workers each were removing the snow and searching for the missing PTCL workers to save them.

Dr Asad Ali Khan said there was intermittent snowfall and more avalanches could hit the place but the Rescue 1122 workers were busy trying to save the PTCL workers lives.

Meanwhile, a communication from the Pakistan Meteorological Department in Islamabad said that due to an earthquake of 6.2 magnitude reported in Hindukush Range, aftershocks of minor magnitude were feared.