PNN: Three people, including an army captain, lost their lives on Saturday when an avalanche struck a Pakistan Army team clearing snow from Burzil Pass in northern Gilgit-Baltistan.
According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), a snow clearance operation was being carried out in the wee hours of Saturday using machinery to facilitate the operational movement of troops in the area.
At around 2am, a snow slide occurred, entrapping the captain, who was leading the operation, along with two soldiers and a civilian machine operator.
Following the incident, authorities launched an intensive rescue operation and retrieved all four individuals from the snow.
“However, the condition of Captain Asmad, Sepoy Rizwan and machine operator Essa deteriorated, and all three embraced shahadat,” the statement said.
Captain Asmad, 28, was a resident of Lahore; Sepoy Rizwan, 32, hailed from Attock, while machine operator Essa was from the Astore area of G-B.
“These individuals rendered the ultimate sacrifice by leading a challenging operation in extreme weather conditions to facilitate the operational movement of forces.
“Their sacrifice and devotion to duty are testimony to the fact that all ranks of the Pakistan Armed Forces are determined to defend the motherland and will not hesitate to lay down their lives in the line of duty and devotion to the cause,” the news release said.
Following the tragic incident, both President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued separate statements expressing deep sorrow and grief.
President Zardari paid tribute to the martyrs and extended heartfelt condolences to their bereaved families. He prayed for the elevation of their ranks in Paradise and for patience and fortitude for the grieving families. “Those who lay down their lives are the pride of the nation,” he said.
PM Shehbaz also expressed condolences to the families of the martyrs. He said that, without regard for their own lives, the martyrs continued the operation to reopen the snow-affected Burzil Pass and played their role in ensuring smooth traffic flow. “The nation salutes the martyrs,” he added.