200 tourists stranded in Kumrat valley in Upper Dir district safely rescued: KP tourism dept

Two hundred tourists stranded in Kumrat valley in Upper Dir district have been safely rescued, according to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority.

While speaking to APP, the spokesperson for the authority said that the tourists rescued from Dojangla, Kala Chesma and Abshar were taken to the Grand Palace Hotel from where they would be shifted to Kalam.

The spokesperson said that food and other services were being provided to all the rescued tourists, adding that police and district administration were providing full support to the rescue operation.

The tourists were stranded after a blockage of roads due to heavy rainfalls in Kumrat, he said.

The successful rescue of the tourists came a day after 13 members of a family were killed when the roof collapsed due to heavy rainfall in Maidan tehsil, Upper Dir.

Pakistan experiences its monsoon season from July to August, typically receiving around 255 millimetres of rain each month.

In 2022, the monsoon rains caused extensive damage throughout the country, with over 75,000 homes destroyed and 130,000 partially damaged in KP alone, according to figures from the government and international aid agencies.

A Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) report issued on August 28 shows that 74 people have been killed and 128 injured from July to August 28 due to the current monsoon spell in KP.

The report also said that 906 houses were damaged due to rain-related incidents in the last two months.

From July 29 to August 1, 24 people were killed and 17 injured as heavy rains lashed the province, according to the KP PDMA.

On August 17, a local government representative was swept away by strong currents in a Swabi nullah, and a minor boy was killed in a Bannu wall collapse incident as heavy rains triggered flash floods in several districts of KP.