Inam Ghani, the Inspector General (IG) of the National Highways and Motorways Police, issued a warning on Saturday on what to do if stranded in their automobiles amid severe snowfall.
SHO Murree Police Station Raja Rasheed said four to four-and-a-half feet of snowfall was recorded in Murree.
He said that majority of the people who died was not due to the cold, but because they left their heaters on in the car and went to sleep.
“The fumes from the heater killed them,” he said, referring to the fumes which found no exit due to silencers buried underneath snow and were breathed in by people.
Ghani advised citizens to “open a window slightly and clear the snow away from the exhaust silencer pipe”.
Carbon monoxide is odorless, very hard to detect, and it can quickly cause death.
If God forbid your car is stuck in the snow and you have the engine running, open a window slightly and clear snow away from the exhaust silencer pipe.
— Inam Ghani QPM & Bar, PSP (@InamGhani) January 8, 2022
Similar instructions in Urdu were tweeted by the National Highways & Motorway Police (NHMP).
دورانِ برفباری، خطرات اور احتیاطی تدابیر!@InamGhani pic.twitter.com/nKkR8pV8wI
— National Highways & Motorway Police (NHMP) (@NHMPofficial) January 8, 2022
Inam Ghani also asked the citizens to not travel to Murree amid heavy snowfall.
“Please don’t travel to Murree! Snowfall has started again,” he wrote in the afternoon.
He said that NHMP officers and the National Highway Authority are working on clearing the Murree Expressway, while warning of “congestion in Murree and on expressway”.
“People in the hotels for the night have come out on the roads. New vehicles are not being allowed to go to Murree,” he added.
Please don't travel to Murree!
Snowfall has started again. NHMP officers & NHA are working on clearing the Murree Expressway. Congestion in Murree & on expressway. People in the hotels for the night have come out on the roads. New vehicles are not being allowed to go to Murree.— Inam Ghani QPM & Bar, PSP (@InamGhani) January 8, 2022
It is recommended to keep following items in the emergency kit while travelling on snowy roads
- Mobile phone and car charger
- Flashlight with extra batteries
- Jumper cables or jump pack
- Basic toolkit (screwdrivers, pliers, adjustable wrench, duct tape, plastic zip ties)
- Tarp, raincoat and gloves to help stay clean/dry working at the roadside
- Rags, paper towels or pre-moistened wipes
- Warning devices (flares, reflective triangles or LED beacons)
- First-aid kit
- Drinking water
- Snacks/food for your passengers and any pets
- Ice scraper
- Snow brush
- Winter windshield washer solvent
- Traction aids (sand, salt, non-clumping cat litter or traction mats) Shovel
- Warm gloves, clothes, hats and blankets for all passengers in your car
How to prepare for travelling on snowy roads
- Make sure the petrol/gas tank is filled. If you get stranded, you run out of heat when you run out of petrol/gas.
- To make the petrol/gas last longer, don’t leave the car running. Turn it off once it’s warm inside and back on to reheat once it’s gotten too cold again.
- Make sure your cellphone is fully charged, because if the car becomes disabled you might not be able to use it to charge the phone. Have a backup wireless charger.
- Have one or two bottles of water per person.
- Listen to news reports and follow instructions.
- Don’t leave the headlights on because it will drain the battery.
- Stay in the vehicle because getting outside alongside a road with poor visibility is dangerous.
- If you can’t get your vehicle off the road, use four-way flashers. There are battery-powered lanterns with different functions such as flashing lights. Put one inside the rear window or, if you can safely do so, atop the trunk. Flares don’t work well in snowstorms and can get covered by snow.
- Don’t try to walk someplace because if you can’t see the ground, you might miss hazards like holes or downed power lines. Things look different during a snowstorm.
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