Naran | Pakistan

Rescue teams evacuated 160 stranded tourists from Naran in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Mansehra district after flash floods, triggered by heavy rainfall, swept through parts of the region on Wednesday, according to a Rescue 1122 spokesperson. Monsoon rains, which fall across the region from June to September, are crucial to the livelihoods of millions of farmers and food security. However, they also wreak havoc by triggering deadly floods, landslides and displacement, particularly in vulnerable, poorly drained, or densely populated areas. This year’s monsoon rains continue to lash many parts of the country, prompting authorities to release an urban flooding warning for several cities. Mansehra’s Rescue 1122 spokesperson, Amir Khadam Khan, told Dawn.com that 160 tourists were stranded after floods hit Naran, Jalkhad, Barwai and Besar. “Rescue 1122 personnel crossed the flood drain on foot near Besar to access more than 160 stranded tourists and vehicles,” he said. “All the people were safely evacuated and accommodate...

Three tourists lost their lives on Friday after they were buried under a glacial slide in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Mansehra district, according to officials. Mansehra Rescue 1122 spokesperson Amir Khadam Khan told Dawn.com that the incident occurred near Sohni Waterfall in the Naran area. “[The] tourists, hailing from Lahore, were taking selfies near the glacier when it slid down, burying them underneath.” He added that the bodies of the tourists were recovered from the glacier and moved to a nearby hospital, where they were identified as 35-year-old Mohammad Tahir, 22-year-old Mohammad Tayyab, and 13-year-old Abubakar. Adviser to Chief Minister KP on Tourism, Zahid Chanze,b extended his condolences to the bereaved families and said, “Arrangements were being made to dispatch the bodies to Lahore.” In a statement, he urged tourists to avoid taking selfies near dangerous spots and glaciers, saying glaciers were rapidly melting due to the hot weather. He also said that they would launch a campaign across the provinc...