Three tourists killed in glacial slide near Naran

MANSEHRA: Three tourists tragically lost their lives on Friday after being buried by a glacial slide near Sohni Waterfall in the Naran area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, officials confirmed.

According to Rescue 1122 spokesperson Amir Khadam Khan, the tourists, who were from Lahore, were taking selfies near the glacier when it suddenly slid down, trapping them underneath. The victims were identified as Mohammad Tahir (35), Mohammad Tayyab (22), and Abubakar (13).

Rescue teams recovered their bodies from the glacier and transported them to a nearby hospital. Zahid Chanze, the Adviser to Chief Minister KP on Tourism, expressed condolences to the victims' families and stated that arrangements were being made to send the bodies back to Lahore.

Chanze also urged tourists to avoid dangerous spots and glaciers, stressing that these areas have become more hazardous due to the rapid melting of glaciers caused by the hot weather. He announced plans to launch a safety campaign across the province to ensure tourists adhere to precautionary measures.

This incident follows another tragic case last month in which four tourists from Gujrat went missing in Gilgit-Baltistan and were later found dead along the Indus River.

In March, a UN report highlighted the increasing risks to glaciers due to global warming and unsustainable human activities, with dire consequences for ecosystems and billions of people relying on glacial water sources.