As many as 150 tourists who had been left stranded on the outskirts of Muzaffarabad due to the cloudburst were rescued and sent back to their native areas.
Pakistan Army, police personnel, Rescue 1122 teams and local volunteers jointly rescued the tourists.
The tourists appreciated the timely action, which saved their lives.
The tourists were trapped following heavy rain in the AJK capital and its suburbs, which led to the closure of a five-kilometer stretch of the road.
On the instructions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) DG Sardar Waheed Khan monitored the operation.
Speaking to the media, Waheed said that at 10:00 PM, the SDMA control room was informed about the incident, and that later the army, police, volunteers and Rescue 1122 personnel covered 18 to 19 kilometers on foot and in vehicles to reach the spot where the tourists were stranded.
“By 3:00 AM in morning, they were sent back to their native areas.” AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq himself monitored the operation.
He praised the SDMA for the timely action and ordered the opening of the road. Meanwhile, it has been raining cats and dogs in Muzzafarabad and its outskirts due to which there are reports of water entering people’s homes at some places.
Heavy rains forecast prompts local govt to remain on high alert
The district administration remains on high alert as the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) predicts heavy monsoon rains in Rawalpindi starting from the evening of July 5 . Both the Cantonments, MCR and WASA have separately chalked out contingency plans to combat any situation evolved during the days to come, under the umbrella of the District Administration. The plans include preemptive measures through awareness creation among citizens, cleaning of deep rain drains, rescue services and hospital emergencies.
Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) has reached completion of desilting of 29 deep drains in its territorial localities.
“Our teams are on high alert in this regard and a coordination mechanism has been established to continuously monitor the situation”, informed Nasir Kamal, Deputy CEO RCB in a brief interaction with APP here on today.
Besides drain cleaning drive, RCB has also urged citizens to remain careful during monsoon season.
The rain spell will continue through July 8, as moist currents intensify and a westerly wave approaches on July 6, for which PMD warned that heavy rainfall may trigger flash floods in local nullahs and streams of Rawalpindi, with low-lying areas particularly vulnerable to urban flooding from July 6 to 8.
The Municipal Corporation (MCR) has directed the owners, occupants, and tenants of dangerous, dilapidated buildings which have already been declared dangerous, to immediately demolish these structures or repair the salvageable parts.