Monsoon tragedy: Four tourists killed as rain batters Balakot, surroundings

• Vehicle carrying tourists from Sialkot plunges into deep gorge near Kaywai; one passenger injured

• Heavy rains trigger landslides, swell nullahs and strand tourist vehicles across Balakot and surrounding areas

• Rescue 1122 shifts stranded tourists to safety as authorities urge public to avoid streams and rain-fed channels

• NDMA warns of flash floods, urban inundation and landslides as fresh monsoon spell threatens upper and central Pakistan

 PESHAWAR: At least four tourists, including two women, were killed and another person injured after their vehicle plunged into a deep ravine near Dimnarian in the Kaywai area on Sunday, as heavy monsoon rains pounded Balakot and surrounding parts of Mansehra, triggering landslides, swelling rain-fed streams and leaving several tourist vehicles stranded.

Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) warned of more torrential downpours in the coming days, cautioning that they could trigger urban flooding, flash floods and landslides across the country.

According to Rescue 1122, the tourists were travelling from Sialkot in a minivan bearing registration number AGJ-957 when the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, causing it to plunge into a deep gorge.

Immediately after receiving the emergency call, Rescue 1122 Mansehra dispatched ambulances and rescue teams to the accident site and launched a rescue operation.

The deceased were identified as Shahroz, son of Sahir; Junaid, son of Sohail, who was driving the vehicle; and two women whose identities had yet to be released.

The injured passenger, Tanveer, son of Khurram, was administered first aid at the scene before being shifted to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, Balakot, for further medical treatment.

Rescue personnel retrieved all the victims from the ravine and transported them to Kaywai Hospital. The bodies of the deceased were later shifted to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, Balakot, to complete legal formalities.

Rescue officials said an investigation was under way to ascertain the exact cause of the accident.

Landslides block roads as monsoon rains lash Balakot

The torrential rains severely disrupted normal life in Balakot and adjoining areas, with landslides blocking traffic at several locations while the Balakot, Damgla, Shawal and Boli nullahs swelled rapidly due to the intense rainfall.

Rescue 1122 personnel launched emergency operations and shifted stranded tourists to safer locations to prevent any untoward incidents.

The rescue department advised residents and tourists to stay away from rain-fed drains, streams and nullahs during the ongoing monsoon spell, warning that water levels could rise suddenly without prior notice.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) forecast rain for Lahore and several other cities across Punjab.

The weather remained partly cloudy in the provincial capital during the morning. According to the Met Office, the maximum temperature was expected to reach 39 degrees Celsius later in the day, while the minimum temperature was recorded at 32 degrees Celsius.

Morning winds were blowing at a speed of 10 kilometres per hour, while humidity stood at 66 per cent.

The weather department also forecast light rain in the port city over the next two days. The maximum temperature there was expected to rise to 35 degrees Celsius during the afternoon. Morning humidity was recorded at 75 per cent, while westerly winds were blowing at a speed of 19 kilometres per hour.

The maximum temperature was also predicted to touch 35 degrees Celsius. However, the Met Office said thundershowers accompanied by strong winds were likely at isolated places in Upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Murree, Galliyat, Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Gujrat, Sialkot, Narowal, the Potohar region, Islamabad, northeastern Punjab, Mianwali, Sargodha, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Lahore, Gujranwala, adjoining areas and Kashmir during the next 24 hours.

Also on Sunday, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) issued a fresh alert warning of torrential rains in the upper and central parts of the country over the next few days, raising fears of flash floods in streams and nullahs as well as landslides in mountainous regions.

The authority cautioned that heavy rainfall could significantly increase water levels in the Ravi and Chenab rivers and trigger urban flooding in several major cities, including Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Peshawar, Nowshera, Mardan, Charsadda, Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot, Narowal, Hafizabad and Sheikhupura.