A 12-year-old girl has been found alive after being buried under snow for 18 hours when an avalanche hit her home in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Samina Bibi said she had been "screaming and shouting for help" as she lay trapped in a room under the snow, she told Reuters.
She said she thought she would "die there", before she was rescued.
The Neelum Valley has been hit by avalanches and landslides in recent days killing at least 74 people.
While the Himalayan region is prone to weather disasters, the current death toll is one the highest in recent history.
India-administered Kashmir and Afghanistan have also been affected. But Pakistan-administered Kashmir, and Neelum Valley in particular, were the worst hit. Rescuers there are still searching for missing people.
'It happened in the blink of an eye'
Samina was rescued from Bakwali village and taken to a hospital in Muzaffarabad. However several members of her family were killed. Her mother, Shahnaz Bibi, said the family had been huddled around a fire in their three-storey house when the avalanche hit. "We didn't hear a rumble. It happened in the blink of an eye," she said, telling Reuters she had given up hope of finding her daughter alive. Samina said she suffered from a leg fracture and that blood had been oozing from her mouth. She said she could not sleep while she waited to be rescued. Conflict has plagued Kashmir for decades Across Pakistan, at least 100 people have died in snow-hit areas, said the country's National Disaster Management Authority. Eight people have also died in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, according to local media. Kashmir covers around 86,000 sq miles (138 sq km), and is famed for the beauty of its lakes, meadows and snow-capped mountains. But it has been locked in a decades-long crisis, and has been divided between India and Pakistan since both countries gained their independence in 1947.DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Latest Stories
-
Alan Kyerematen is the situational leader Ghana needs at this critical time – Boniface Siddique
11 mins -
Speaker to address media on recent developments in Parliament, other issues on Wednesday
11 mins -
#Eleection2024: It’s a collective responsibility to maintain peace – Asogli Queen
15 mins -
Bawku conflict claims 61-year-old man, raising death toll to 22
21 mins -
Ghana’s education system stifles critical thinking, innovation – Sam Jonah
26 mins -
“Pay us our royalties” – Celestine Donkor’s manager to Boomplay
33 mins -
Ghana’s overlooked cocoa farmers: The key to a fair and sustainable cocoa industry
57 mins -
Napo urges Seikwa to reject NDC, accuses Asiedu Nketiah of rejecting his hometown
1 hour -
MTN Foundation empowers Volta Region entrepreneurs to drive Ghana’s economic transformation
1 hour -
Sam Jonah criticises reliance on past questions, calls for education reform
1 hour -
Abronye lauds Napo’s impact in Bono Region
1 hour -
Election 2024: Confusion rocks GFP as 2 factions send contradictory letters to EC
2 hours -
NDC Chairman asks NPP supporters to vote out governing party to allow internal restructuring
2 hours -
More youth to enjoy digital skills training – Dr Bawumia
2 hours -
Sam Jonah calls for military-based National Service in Ghana
2 hours