Authorities seal three Murree hotels for jacking up room rents

Authorities have sealed three Murree hotels for jacking up room rents following the January 8 tragedy.

As being reported, the three hotels have been sealed by the authorities following an inquiry against the hotels for jacking up the rents in snowstorm-hit Murree.

Murree was declared calamity hit following the death of at least 23 people after heavy snow trapped them in their vehicles as tens of thousands of visitors thronged the city over the weekend.

Several tourists had filed complaints that accommodation charges were raised from Rs6,000 to Rs70,000 per room.

People who were stranded in  Murree also complained of increased prices of food items amid the severe weather conditions.

“Owners were charging Rs20,000 for hotel rooms whose fares are Rs4000 on normal days. Locals were charging Rs5000 to drag cars out of snow, a tourist who returned safely from Murree told the news outlet.

Citizens took to social media irked by the behavior of Murree’s hotel owners during the blizzard hit conditions.

While hashtag #BoycottMurree has been trending on social media,