Pakistan Snowstorm

January 10, 2022

On January 9, 2022, death toll reached to 23 in Pakistan’s popular hill station of Murree, because of unprecedented snowfall and rush of tourists. A minor girl, suffering from severe cold & pneumonia, also died as she could not be rushed to the hospital in time.

Key Facts

Tourists visited Murree after the picturesque town in Rawalpindi received a record-breaking snowfall.
The snowfall left the local administration helpless and freezing to death in their stranded vehicles.

Snowfall in Murree

Murree received 6.5 inches of snowfall on January 5, 2022. Next day it reached to 8.5 inches while by January 8, it reached to 16.5 inches. The Pakistan Meteorological Department had predicted heavy snowfall from January 6 to 9 in Murree and Galiyat.

Where is Murree?

Murree is a mountain resort town, in the Galyat region of Pir Panjal Range, in the Rawalpindi District of Pakistan. It is the outskirts of Islamabad-Rawalpindi metropolitan area. It is located at a distance of 30 km, from northeast of Islamabad. The average altitude in Murree is 2,291 metres. Murree was the summer headquarters of colonial Punjab Government until 1876. In 1876, the headquarter moved to Shimla.

When was this town constructed?

Murree town was built by the British, during their rule in order to escape the scorching heat in plains of Pakistan’s Punjab province, during the summer. They started constructing this town in 1851 in the hill of Murree. It was constructed as a sanatorium for British troops. Permanent town of Murree was constructed in 1853. The municipality was officially created in 1850.