Tourists stranded as flash floods wreak havoc in K-P's Kumrat

Flash floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province's tourist region of Kumrat have caused extensive damage, destroying hotels, restaurants, local homes, and crops.

The main road leading to Kumrat was washed away at the Brekot point, cutting off access to the area.

Additionally, the connecting bridges at Makrala and Thal were also swept away by the floods.

According to Tehsil Nazim Kalkot, Zia-ur-Rehman, hundreds of tourists and vehicles are stranded in Kumrat. He has appealed to the provincial government for assistance in rescue and recovery efforts.

Earlier today, a landslide triggered by continuous heavy rains in Upper Dir situated in Kumrat Valley claimed the lives of all 12 members of a single family.

The incident occurred when the landslide struck a house in the Patarak area of Upper Dir district, located in the Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) province.

According to the police, the deceased includes nine children, two women, and one man.

The ongoing rain and darkness severely hampered the rescue operations.

Local residents, along with personnel from Rescue 1122 Upper Dir, police, Dir Levies, and Civil Defence, participated in the rescue efforts.

Despite the challenging conditions, all the bodies were eventually recovered from the rubble.

The police confirmed that after significant difficulties, the rescue teams were able to retrieve the bodies of those who had been trapped and killed in the landslide.

The entire community is mourning the loss of these lives, as the region continues to grapple with the impact of the relentless monsoon rains.

Heavy rains have battered India and Pakistan's coastal areas along the Arabian Sea, flooding cities in western India's Gujarat state and forcing thousands of people from their homes, with authorities predicting a cyclonic storm to develop by Friday (today).

At least 28 people have died this week from rain-related incidents in the state, officials said, as meteorologists in India and neighbouring Pakistan warned that more heavy downpours and strong winds were expected to lash the coast.

More than 18,000 have been evacuated since Sunday from cities near the coast, disaster management authorities said.