After 22 people perished in vehicles caught by heavy snow, Pakistani rescuers were working Sunday to unblock access to a locked-in hill town sheltering hundreds of visitors.

Murree, a resort town about 70 kilometers (45 miles) northeast of Islamabad, was overrun with visitors and daytrippers last week after unusually heavy snow made it a fascinating sight. 

However, a snowstorm that began on Friday downed trees and clogged small roads leading into and out of the town, which is perched on high hills and valleys at an elevation of 7,500 feet.

Tariq Ullah, an administrative worker, described to AFP on Sunday that it was "not snow, and not even heavy snow, it was unprecedented," adding, "(I) never saw such a huge snowstorm in my life. There were strong winds, uprooted trees, avalanches. People around were terrified, each having his or her own account of suffering."

Officials reported nearly 100,000 people had come to the town on Friday by car, creating a massive bottleneck ahead of the snowfall.

Twenty-two people have died, including ten children, as a result of hypothermia or carbon monoxide poisoning from engines running overnight on Friday.

Caught off-guard 

Pakistan's Prime Minister expressed his shock and grief at the incident, saying local administration was caught off-guard by the unusual snowfall.

Shocked & upset at tragic deaths of tourists on road to Murree. Unprecedented snowfall & rush of ppl proceeding without checking weather conditions caught district admin unprepared. Have ordered inquiry & putting in place strong regulation to ensure prevention of such tragedies.

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) January 8, 2022

Pakistani media chastised authorities on Sunday, noting that the country's meteorology agency had warned of the impending snowstorm as early as January 6.

Authorities said an investigation would begin after the weather forecasting center warned, "All concerned authorities... to remain ALERT during the forecast period."

Hasaan Khawar, Spokesperson for the Punjab Province Administration, Tweeted on Sunday that the first priority is to rescue, which is ongoing, then relief, warning that if any negligence was found after investigation, those involved would be prosecuted.

وزیر اعلی راولپنڈی پہنچ چکے ہیں اور خود ریلیف اور ریسکیو آپریشن کا جائزہ لے رہے ہیں۔ انہوں نے انتظامیہ، پولیس، 1122، پی ڈی ایم اے اور باقی ایجنسیوں کو کام مزید تیز کرنے کی ہدایت کی ہے۔

آج وزیر اعلی کے ہیلی کاپٹر سے ریسکیو آپریشن کی فضائی نگرانی بھی کی جاتی رہی۔ pic.twitter.com/buEKDYOc8M

— Hasaan Khawar (@hasaankhawar) January 8, 2022

The public relations department reported that all survivors had been pulled from their cars and taken to shelters.

Bulldozer's efforts were hindered by nearly a thousand abandoned vehicles.

Authorities issued a warning last weekend that there were too many vehicles attempting to access the town, but swarms of visitors were not deterred.