MANSEHRA: Continuous rains wreaked havoc in Lower Kohistan as a man died due to cardiac arrest and several others received injuries while two vehicles carrying tourists from Gilgit-Baltistan to Punjab were swept away by floodwater.

Four shops also collapsed after being hit by heavy landslide on Tuesday. “A driver trapped in mudslide died of cardiac arrest due to fear, several others were injured in rain-related incident while eight to 10 tourists, including women and children, remained safe after muddy and rocky floodwater flowing down to Karakoram Highway from nearby mountains swept away their vehicles, as police rescued them swiftly,” DPO Zafar Ahmad Khan told journalists.

Heavy downpours continued to lash upper parts of Hazara division sporadically for the second consecutive day. Truck driver, Gul Badshah, died due to cardiac arrest as according to police, his truck was hit by landslide on KKH in Dubair area.

Several people also sustained critical injuries when boulders detached from roadside mountains fell on them in Lower Kohistan. Two vehicles carrying a group of tourists, including women and children from Punjab, miraculously escaped unhurt when floodwater carrying heavy boulders and mud swept over them.

Floodwater sweeps away two vehicles; four shops hit by landslide

The tourists, who were on their way back to Punjab from Gilgit-Baltistan, suffered damage to their vehicles, but police personnel, already engaged in clearing landslide-hit areas, swiftly rescued them and shifted them to a safer place.

Electric poles were also uprooted, leaving several people injured in Firozabad Jigal area of Lower Kohistan.

In another incident in Dubair area of Lower Kohistan, four shops were hit by heavy landslide. Shopkeepers and customers rushed out of the shops before landslide struck, according to police.

Meanwhile, half of the passengers, including men and women, who had been stranded in Lower Kohistan following landslide at three locations on Monday, managed to continue their journeys to Gilgit-Baltistan and other parts of the country. However, floodwater carrying heavy boulders and mud again flowed onto KKH from nearby mountains, blocking the highway.

“Continuous rains and floods hampered our rescue and KKH clearance activities. We had cleared all the blocked points, and stranded passengers had started leaving for their respective destinations,” the DPO said.

He said that although half of the stranded passengers had left, muddy and rocky floodwater again blocked KKH at China Bridge, Saplo Mor, Glozbanda, Shahtan Pari Gijal and Khatar Nullah.

CRACKDOWN: The district administration on Tuesday launched a drive against deforestation and timber smuggling by demolishing four saw machines operating illegally in Kaghan Valley and other parts of Balakot tehsil.

“The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has ordered strict action against deforestation and timber smuggling, which are damaging the environment,” Hasrat Khan, assistant commissioner of Balakot, told journalists.

A team comprising officials of forest and police departments paid surprise visits to Kaghan Valley and other parts of Balakot tehsil, and confiscated a huge quantity of timber allegedly cut illegally from forests for smuggling to other parts of the country.

The team inspected saw machines in Paras and Nori areas of Kaghan and grounded four of them that were operating illegally. Owners of machines operating with proper licences were also warned to abide by the law and refrain from any activity promoting deforestation and timber smuggling.

The assistant commissioner of Baffa-Pakhal, Faraz Qureshi, also initiated action against saw machines allegedly facilitating deforestation and timber smuggling.

Published in Dawn, May 13th, 2026