Islamabad: An avalanche hit a remote hamlet in northwestern Pakistan killing at least 36 people, police said on Thursday.
Dozens of homes of the hamlet are buried under the snow after the avalanche in Kohistan district of the North West Frontier Province, 200 kilometres from Islamabad.
The incident occurred last night and according to initial reports 36 people were killed, district police chief Muhammad Ilyas said.
Local residents had recovered 19 bodies so far and a search operation was underway for people who could be buried in the snow, police said.
Ilyas said authorities have been requested to send a helicopter and heavy machinery for rescue operations.
Parts of northern and northwestern Pakistan have witnessed heavy snowfall in the past few days.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, February 18, 2010, 16:16