PM orders urgent rescue of flood-stranded tourists in Pakistan’s north

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed authorities to rescue stranded tourists after floods in Pakistan’s northern Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region, Sharif’s office said late Thursday, urging an immediate and coordinated response to ensure their safety and well-being.
Torrential monsoon rains have killed at least 172 people in the last six weeks, with most of the casualties taking place in the eastern Punjab and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) provinces, according to disaster management authorities.
Flash floods triggered by heavy showers in GB’s Astore district left several tourists, including a few foreigners, stranded, while hill torrents washed away two bridges in Feena village in the remote, mountainous region.
PM Sharif telephoned the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) chief Inam Haider Malik and reviewed details of the Astore flood situation, according to the prime minister’s office.
“The prime minister instructed so swift rescue of tourists stranded because of no land connectivity,” Sharif’s office said in a statement. “The prime minister also directed to provide an alternative route to the two bridges that were swept away by floodwater in Feena village.”
In its report to the prime minister on Friday, the NDMA informed PM Sharif the foreign tourists, including two Italians and one Argentinian national, were safe and at a distant location from the affected area.
“Work is underway to ensure the swift restoration of Feena bridge,” the NDMA said, adding it was examining the situation along with relevant departments and was on alert to deal with any emergency.
On Thursday, the NDMA had warned authorities to take precautions with heavy rains forecast in various parts of the country till Aug. 18.
It issued instructions to officials to alert emergency response teams and mobilize resources for a swift response during any untoward situation apart from advising tourists to avoid traveling to the affected areas.
Pakistan is recognized as one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to climate change effects. In 2022, torrential rains and floods killed over 1,700 people and caused estimated losses of over $30 billion to the Pakistani economy.
This year, a United Nations official warned that about 200,000 people could be affected by the ongoing monsoon season in Pakistan.