Five tourists killed, 15 missing as rain lashes Gilgit-Baltistan

Flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains swept away several vehicles carrying tourists in northern Pakistan, killing at least five people and leaving 15 others missing, officials said on Tuesday.

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More than 200 trapped tourists have been rescued in Diamer in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) after flash floods triggered by heavy rain swept through the district, officials said.

Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued a landslide alert for various areas in GB, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

GB government spokesman Faizullah Faraq said in a statement that more than 200 rescued tourists have been shifted to Chilas and provided shelter in hotels and guest houses. He added that the tourists were now able to contact their families after being stranded for hours. The death toll since Monday currently stands at five, according to Diamer District Commissioner Attaullah Kakar. Nearly 100 homes have been destroyed in the floods, and rescue operations were ongoing, he added.

The region is a popular tourist destination, marked by towering mountains, deep valleys and wide rivers.