3 killed, 15 missing as rain-triggered floods strike northern Pakistan

KARACHI, Pakistan

Floods triggered by massive rains struck northern Pakistan on Monday, leaving at least three local tourists dead and another 15 missing, the country's disaster management authority said.

Four persons were also injured in the rain-related accidents after a cloudburst struck Babusar Top, a famous tourist destination located in the Diamer district of the Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said in a statement.

Faizullah Firaq, a spokesperson for the GB government, confirmed in a statement that 15 tourists have gone missing, as eight tourist vehicles were washed away in the raging flood in the region.

The fresh casualties soared the nationwide death toll to 188 during the ongoing monsoon spells since June 26. Over 600 people have been injured.

A majority of deaths, 123, and more than 400 injuries have been reported in the eastern Punjab province, the hardest-hit by the current monsoon spells.

The massive rains also triggered landslides at different points of Babusar Road, leaving dozens of vehicles stuck as local authorities are evacuating the stranded tourists to local schools and other government buildings.

The capital, Islamabad, and the adjoining garrison city of Rawalpindi also received massive rains on Monday, which inundated several low-lying areas and roads.

As the meteorological department forecasts more rain in the country's northern and eastern regions over the next 24 to 48 hours, the NDMA has advised tourists not to visit tourist destinations.

Monsoon rains often cause destruction across South Asia, including Pakistan, but climate change has further increased their ferocity, unpredictability, and intensity in recent years.