Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed shock over the “tragic deaths”.

“Have ordered inquiry and putting in place strong regulations to ensure prevention of such tragedies,” Khan said in a tweet.

Located about 50km (22 miles) north of the capital, Islamabad, Murree is a popular winter resort that attracts more than one million tourists annually. Streets leading into the city are often blocked by snow in winter.

Videos shared on social media showed entire families, including children, lying dead in their snow-covered vehicles.

Snowfall, which began on Tuesday night, continued at regular intervals, attracting thousands of tourists. Because of the huge numbers of visitors, many families ended up getting stranded on roads.

“This is an example of systemic failure because according to reports, about 100,000 vehicles headed to the hill station, one that has narrow roads,” said Al Jazeera’s Kamal Hyder, reporting from Islamabad.

“There were warnings of heavy snow and that led to a total catastrophe because people were stuck in their vehicles, entire families. Their vehicles were buried under heaps of snow.”

 

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