A group of 16 Japanese tourists were cut off Monday in northern Pakistan in the wake of landslides caused by heavy rains and efforts were under way to clear the roads and bring them back to Islamabad, a tourist operator said.
Ejaz Sohail, tour manager at Islamabad-based Saiyah that organizes sightseeing, trekking and mountain-climbing excursions for foreigners, said a bus carrying the Japanese was stuck at Pattan in the Kohistan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
They were part of tour involving 45 Japanese tourists organized by Saiyah with Tokyo-based Saiyu Travel Co. to the mountainous region of Gilgit and Baltistan.
The main group is staying in Hunza.
There were no reports of any injuries.
The nearly 700-km-long Korakoram Highway linking Pakistan with China was blocked at many places due to heavy rains and flash floods during the last two days.
The Frontier Works Organization, which is responsible for maintaining the Korakoram Highway, was trying to clear the road, district administration officials said.