A search operation for tourists who went missing after rain-induced floods in Gilgit-Baltistan’s (GB) Babusar area concluded on Monday after 14 days, while their funeral prayers were held in absentia. Pakistan has been grappling with severe flooding caused by cloudbursts, glacial lake outburst floods (Glofs) and intense monsoon rains since June. These extreme weather events have resulted in several deaths and injuries across the country, with the GB region among the hardest hit. After deadly floods swept across GB’s Babusar area on July 21, the deaths of seven people had been confirmed but 12 remained missing. Besides the missing, the region’s death toll stands at 10. In a statement today, GB government spokesperson Faizullah Firaq said, “The funeral prayers of the missing persons were offered in absentia in Babusar.” He said that the search operation on Babusar Highway, which had continued for 14 days, has now ended. “All vehicles have been removed from the debris, but no trace of the missing persons could b...