The owners of hotels and guest houses have categorically rejected the claims that they demonstrated an apathetic attitude and demanded exorbitant rents for rooms from the stranded tourists during the Murree snowfall tragedy which saw more than 20 people lose their lives.
Users on different social media platforms directed harsh criticism towards the owners of hotels and guest houses located in Murree, claiming that their adamant behavior forced the tourists to spend the night in vehicles during heavy snowfall.
Speaking in this regard, Chairperson Murree Hotel Association, Raja Irfan, clarified that a large number of tourists were not able to make it to the hotels and guest houses in the first place. Since they were stuck in a traffic jam as a result of record-breaking snowfall in the hill station, most of the rooms were still available at reasonable prices.
The stranded tourists decided to spend the night in cars as they had no place to take shelter. While they were hoping that the civil administration would launch an operation to clear snow, they took shelter in their vehicles and turned on the heaters. With windows closed and snow piled up against the exhaust pipes, carbon monoxide accumulated in the vehicles which resulted in their deaths.
On the other hand, the tourists who were rescued have rejected the statement of Murree Hotel Association. They claimed that the owners were charging up to Rs. 70,000 for a room which is available at Rs. 6,000 in normal days.
The tourists added that the shopkeepers also played a negative role in the snowfall tragedy as they demanded exorbitant prices for edible food items. They were charging Rs. 250 for a pack of biscuits which is retailed at Rs. 25 while Rs. 400 for a water bottle which is retailed at Rs. 40 normally.