PESHAWAR: Authorities have rescued nearly 250 tourists who were stranded in Kumrat Valley after flash floods triggered by heavy rains washed away roads and bridges in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, official said on Saturday.
Kumrat Valley is a popular tourist destination in the Upper Dir district of KP which has reported 88 deaths in rain-related incidents since July 1, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
The main road leading to Kumrat Valley had been washed away at Barikot, cutting it off from the rest of the province, while three bridges connecting Makrala and Thal areas were also swept away by floods.
Hundreds of tourists were left stranded in various parts of Kumrat Valley due to the floods who have all been evacuated to safety, according to KP Tourism Authority spokesman Saad bin Awais.
“Of them, 250 have been rescued who have left for their homes, while the rest have been shifted to hotels where they are being provided with free services,” he told Arab News. “All of the tourists were Pakistanis.”
Kumrat Valley is widely popular among local and foreign tourists because of its snow-clad mountains, green pastures and dense forests, according to the official. A total of 2,604,312 tourists, including 533 foreigners, visited the valley from September 2023 to August 2024.
Pakistan’s tourism industry generated $2.5 billion of revenue in 2022 and the figure was expected to go up to $4 billion in the next four years, according to the Pakistan Tourism Department Corporation (PTDC).
Bilal Faizi, a Rescue 1122 spokesperson, said two rescue teams had been dispatched to Kumrat and Barikot areas to rescue the tourists stuck in the region.
“We have also set up a medical camp in Barikot and are providing aid to the injured and sick,” he said, adding that four passenger buses had been sent in to the Upper Dir to transport the tourists to their respective areas.
Awais said continuous downpours, followed by floods, severely hampered rescue operations, saying that local residents, Rescue 1122, police and civil defense personnel were making all-out efforts to reopen the roads.
“The roads closed due to landslides will take almost two days to reopen,” he shared. “Heavy machinery is also being used to remove obstacles from roads in Kumrat Valley, but incessant rains are hampering the efforts.”
A day before, a mudslide triggered by heavy monsoon rain hit a house in Upper Dir, killing 12 people of a family, according to authorities.
Authorities rescue 250 tourists after floods wash away roads leading to Pakistan’s Kumrat Valley
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Authorities rescue 250 tourists after floods wash away roads leading to Pakistan’s Kumrat Valley
- Pakistan is currently receiving heavy monsoon showers which have triggered flash floods in several parts of the South Asian country
- Kumrat Valley is a popular tourist destination in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which has reported 88 rain-related deaths since July 1
Pakistan urges Hajj pilgrims to complete Saudi biometrics till Sunday
- Saudi Arabia has allocated Pakistan a quota of 179,210 pilgrims for this year’s Hajj
- Saudi biometric verification is mandatory for issuance of Hajj visas, ministry says
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani religious affairs ministry has urged aspiring Hajj pilgrims to complete mandatory Saudi biometric verification for Hajj visas by Sunday, Pakistani state media reported, with preparations for the 2026 pilgrimage gathering pace following stricter oversight of the Hajj process.
Saudi Arabia has allocated Pakistan a quota of 179,210 pilgrims for Hajj 2026, with the majority of seats reserved under the government scheme and the remainder allocated to private tour operators.
Regulations for private Hajj operators have been tightened and their quota reduced following widespread complaints last year, when tens of thousands of pilgrims were unable to travel under the private Hajj scheme.
The Pakistani religious affairs ministry said last month that Saudi biometric verification is mandatory for the issuance of Hajj visas and pilgrims should complete it at home using the ‘Saudi Visa Bio’ app.
“Hajj visas will not be issued without biometrics, however pilgrims over 80 years of age are exempted from biometrics,” the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported, citing the religious affairs ministry.
Pakistan has been steadily implementing digital and procedural requirements for pilgrims ahead of Hajj 2026, including mandatory training sessions, biometric checks and greater use of mobile applications, as part of efforts to reduce mismanagement.
Pilgrims who were unable to complete biometric verification through the mobile application should visit designated Saudi Tasheer centers before Feb. 8, according to the religious affairs ministry.
Details of the centers are available on Pakistan’s official Hajj mobile application. Tasheer centers will remain open from 9am to 5pm today and on Sunday to facilitate Hajj pilgrims, it added.
