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Fuel shortage, snow leave hilltop migrants stranded

* Army helicopter airlifts 2,000 litres of fuel in poor visibility

Staff Report

PESHAWAR: A large number of earthquake survivors coming down from hilltops were left stranded on Saturday because of snowfall and a fuel shortage for vehicles busy in relief and rescue work.

According to a military press release, Naran Valley has so far received 1.5 feet of snow forcing the survivors to relocate to the plains down country. Despite poor visibility, an MI-17 helicopter of Pakistan Army Aviation flew a special sortie to airlift 2,000 litres of diesel fuel for the vehicles of earthquake victims stranded in the mountains of the Naran Valley early on Saturday morning.

Due to an acute shortage of diesel, hundreds of vehicles with migrating families on board were stranded in the mountainous region. The fuel was provided to the vehicles free of cost.

The Army continued relief activities despite rain and bad weather in the affected areas, but the air operations were restricted due to poor visibility. From PAF Base Chaklala, 18 sorties airlifted about 37 tonnes of supplies including tents, blankets, medicines, rations and other items.

Only two sorties were made from Mansehra to Paras and Oghi to drop 1.69 tonnes of relief goods. Four sorties by a United Nations helicopter dropped 32 tents, 195 blankets and 1,270 kilogrammes of food at various locations.

The construction of shelters for the quake survivors continued as the Engineers Directorate of the Pakistan Army dispatched 1,000 more CGI sheets. Army engineers trained volunteers who joined troops engaged in rescue, relief and rehabilitation activities in the affected areas. The volunteers will work with troops and locals in areas 5,000 feet above sea level.

According to the release, army doctors have so far treated 8,072 quake injured and operated on over 2,000 patients at the Combined Military Hospitals of Abbotabad, Peshawar, Nowshehra, Kohat, Mardan and Risalpur.

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