Over 50 dead in avalanches in Pakistan

FILE PHOTO: A boy clears a snow-covered roof of his family house after a heavy snowfall in Neelum Valley, Pakistan - Reuters

ISLAMABAD (Reuters): At least 57 people were killed and others were missing after avalanches in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir over the last 24 hours, senior government officials said on Tuesday.

Two officials said many villagers were still stranded in the avalanches in the Neelum valley area following heavy rains that also triggered landslides.

Many people were reported missing and feared dead as rescue efforts got under way, one of the officials said.