GILGIT: A search operation is underway to locate four tourists from Gujrat who went missing between Gilgit and Skardu on May 16.

Family sources said Wasif Shahzad, 36, and Umar Ehsan, 20, both cousins from Kot Gakka near Mungowal, Salman Nasrullah Sandhu, 23, of Jassoki village and Usman Dar, 23, of Saroki had arrived Gilgit on May 13.

DIG Gilgit range Raja MirzaHassan told Dawn that according to police records the four friends had started their travel from Hunza to Skardu on May 15. On the way they had stayed in a hotel near Karakoram at Danyor of Gilgit.

The four friends had resumed their journey to Skardu on May 16 and since then their mobile phones could not be reached.

DIG Mirza Hassan said the last location of the missing friends was Jaglot, Gilgit.

The DIG said they supposed to arrive Istak area of Skardu according to their reportedplan. He said their whereabouts could not be traced by search teams so far. Some family members of the friends also arrived Gilgit.

DIG said GB police, Rescue 1122 were jointly searching the missing friends at Jaglot-Skardu from Juglot to Astak.

`The road passes through terrain along with Indus River, where flow of water is dangerously high these days,` the DIG Mirza Hassan said.

Father of one of the missing person said they lost communication with them on May 16. Heappealed to GB government, Chief Secretary and IGP to help trace the missing friends.

Police and Rescue 1122 are searching in Skardu and Gilgit along Indus River from Juglot to Istak area.

According to a statement issued by Rescue 1122 Gilgit team launched search operation from soon after they went missing on May 16.

The search operation was being carried out at various locations from Alam bridge to Shangus area, while Rescue 1122 team is searching inSkardu. During the operation, the rescue personnel obtained information about the movement of tourists from police check posts while information was collected from local hotel owners and people of the area.

In addition, they also extended their in remote and difficult areas with the help of binoculars and searched possible accident sites.

Many incidents happened at Baltistan road particularly from Juglote of Gilgit to Istak area of Skardu, where vehicles fall into Indus River.