MANSEHRA: Flash floods triggered by cloudburst during a fresh spell of monsoon rains wreaked havoc in Siran Valley and Balakot on Sunday, damaging houses, hotels and roads in several areas.

“The Kunhar and Siran rivers, along with local streams, swelled to dangerous levels. Several houses, hotels and roads were damaged, posing a serious threat to nearby settlements and stranded tourists en route to Kaghan valley,” the district emergency officer of Rescue 1122, Ibrar Ali, told journalists.

He said that tourists and locals had been warned against venturing near rivers, streams and other vulnerable areas in Siran and Kaghan valleys. “We have deployed Rescue 1122 personnel along the Kunhar and Siran rivers to keep tourists and locals away from floodwater, as situation can become more dangerous if rainfall continues,” he said.

Mr Ali said that a cloudburst followed by flash floods damaged buildings, hotels and roads while traffic to upper parts of Siran Valley was suspended due to inundation and debris on roads in Jabori, Rori, Doda and Giscach.

“Our personnel are continuously warning tourists and locals to stay away from rivers and flood-hit areas to avoid any untoward incident,” he said.

Traffic on Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad (MNJ) Road also remained suspended for several hours after landslides and flash floods struck Damgala, Shawal and Boli areas. “Vehicles carrying tourists and other travellers between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan, as well as within Mansehra district, remained stranded for hours after landslides and floodwater inundated MNJ Road at several locations,” said Mr Ali.

He said that Rescue 1122 personnel carried out rescue operations, assisted stranded passengers and shifted vulnerable tourists to safer places. “We have repeatedly issued advisories, urging tourists not to drive through floodwaters on MNJ Road or any other road affected by heavy rains,” he said.

Meanwhile, upper parts of Hazara division including Mansehra, Torghar, Upper Kohistan, Lower Kohistan and Kolai-Palas received intermittent heavy rainfall, bringing some relief from the recent heat wave while increasing the risk of flash floods and landslides.