Rains, flash floods kill 21 in Pakistan; tourists rescued in hilly north

Incessant monsoon rains origin landslides and flash floods, taking the full rain-related deaths this twelvemonth to 242.

Islamabad, Pakistan – Flash floods and landslides person killed astatine slightest 21 radical successful 24 hours crossed Pakistan, taking the full decease toll successful this year’s monsoon to 242.

At slightest 3 radical died successful the bluish portion of Gilgit-Baltistan connected Tuesday erstwhile a cloudburst caused floods and landslides, stranding much than 200 tourists who were aboriginal rescued, officials said.

“So far, we person rescued betwixt 200 and 250 radical successful assorted areas who arrived for tourism purposes. All of them are Pakistani nationals. Meanwhile, betwixt 15 to 20 radical are inactive missing, and hunt efforts are ongoing,” Farmanullah Khan, a authorities authoritative successful Gilgit-Baltistan, told Al Jazeera.

Officials said the rescued tourists were moved to the metropolis of Chilas, wherever they were provided structure successful hotels and guesthouses.

“Rescue operations are actively nether mode to find missing tourists with subject unit participating successful the efforts. Helicopters volition beryllium deployed for rescue if necessary,” Faizullah Faraq, spokesperson for the Gilgit-Baltistan government, said successful a statement.

On Monday, astatine slightest 4 different tourists were killed and 15 went missing owed to the floods successful the region’s Diamer district.

Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) connected Tuesday said astatine slightest 10 radical died successful neighbouring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, including six children.

The NDMA said astir of the deaths were caused by location collapses arsenic above-average rains pounded the South Asia nation, inactive recovering from the floods of 2022, which killed astir 1,700 radical and displaced much than 30 million.

An NDMA authoritative told Al Jazeera the rains this twelvemonth person been much aggravated compared with past year.

“This is the 4th spell during this monsoon and is expected to spell connected till July 25,” helium said connected information of anonymity due to the fact that helium was not authorised to talk to the media.

On Tuesday, the NDMA issued a landslide alert for respective bluish areas, including parts of some Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department has forecast wide rain, winds and thundershowers for Tuesday crossed bluish Pakistan and parts of Punjab province.

A antheral carries sacks of onions portion wading done a flooded thoroughfare successful Lahore, July 16, 2025 [File: Arif Ali/AFP]

Pakistan, which has a colonisation of astir 250 million, is 1 of the world’s most susceptible countries to clime change. It is besides location to more than 7,000 glaciers – the largest extracurricular the Earth’s polar regions.

On June 26, Gilgit-Baltistan’s Disaster Management Authority warned of an accrued hazard of glacial water outburst floods and flash floods and asked radical to debar approaching rivers, streams and different waterways.

Zakir Hussein, manager wide of the authority, said that portion warnings assistance trim the beingness of tourists, they are not ever enough.

“Generally, tourists wage attraction to our informing notices. Those who inactive take to travel are either those who did not spot the informing oregon those who person immoderate urgency to visit,” Hussein told Al Jazeera. “At the extremity of the day, it is upwind prediction, but considering the severity of the consequences, radical should instrumentality it seriously.”

Meanwhile, connected the outskirts of the capital, Islamabad, 2 radical riding successful a car were swept into a tempest drain astatine a residential complex. A video circulating connected societal media showed the conveyance being carried distant by floodwaters into the drain.

Rescue officials person launched a hunt for the missing passengers.

Abdul Moiz, a section pharmacy owner, said lone a fewer shops were unfastened successful the country connected Tuesday owed to the relentless rain.

“It is simply a beardown tempest and does not look similar stopping anytime soon. I unrecorded successful the aforesaid society, and portion it could person been casual to enactment indoors, I thought this is simply a clip erstwhile radical mightiness request medicines, truthful I americium present astatine my shop,” helium told Al Jazeera via telephone.