At least nine people were killed on Friday after an avalanche struck a residential house in Pakistan’s northwestern Chitral district, as heavy snowfall disrupted life across several regions and left hundreds stranded, officials said.

The avalanche hit a home in Domail town in Chitral, located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to local administration officials quoted by Pakistani media. The victims included five men and four women, while a child was injured and taken to hospital for treatment.

The deadly incident came amid severe winter weather affecting large parts of northwestern and southwestern Pakistan. Heavy snowfall has blocked key roads, trapping vehicles and residents in remote mountainous areas and prompting emergency response efforts.

A major rescue operation is underway in the Tirah valley of Khyber district, near the border with Afghanistan, where nearly 100 vehicles were stranded due to snow-covered roads. Security forces and rescue teams have been deployed to assist those affected. District officials said women and children from the stranded convoys had been moved to safer locations, while more than a dozen vehicles remained stuck as snowfall continued.

Officials said many of those stranded in the Tirah valley were residents who had been displaced ahead of a planned military operation in the area, which has long experienced instability linked to militant activity.

Separate rescue efforts were also reported in Kohistan and Zhob districts, where hundreds of people were pulled to safety after becoming trapped by snow and road closures.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department has warned that further rain and snowfall are expected in northern and southwestern regions over the next 24 to 48 hours, raising concerns about additional avalanches, travel disruptions, and risks to isolated communities. Authorities have urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel and to follow safety advisories as severe winter conditions persist. (ILKHA)