Tragic Landslides and Floods Claim Lives in Northern Regions

MUZAFFARABAD/GILGIT/BAJAUR: Torrential rains have unleashed devastating flash floods and landslides, resulting in at least 25 fatalities, including women and children, across Gilgit Baltistan, sections of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) Bajaur district on late Thursday.

According to Faizullah Faraq, a spokesperson for the GB government, three individuals, one of whom was a woman, perished in the Khalthi valley of Ghizer district, where numerous residences were buried under the subsequent debris. Search operations are underway for three individuals who remain unaccounted for.

In the Bonar vicinity of Diamer, floodwaters swept away two siblings, while a landslide on the Babusar road left a child injured.

The Yasin Thoi area of Ghizer also suffered significantly from flash floods, which inflicted damage on homes, educational institutions, water reservoirs, and farmland. Landslides rendered the Baltistan and Sadpara roads impassable, and extensive destruction was reported in Thor, Diamer. The Astore valley also sustained damage, with floods impacting both agricultural land and roadways.

Moreover, in Kohistan, a bridge along the Karakoram Highway was damaged by floods, leading to disruptions in transportation between GB and other regions of the country.

The GB government has declared a state of emergency in several regions, instructing the GB Disaster Management Authority (GBDMA) and Rescue 1122 to maintain heightened readiness. Despite challenging weather conditions, relief and search efforts are actively being conducted. Faraq stated, “This is a difficult period for Gilgit-Baltistan,” adding that the government is actively deploying resources to support affected communities.

In a separate incident, six members of a family died due to a cloudburst in the Naseerabad Tehsil area of Muzaffarabad. Heavy downpours and flash flooding in various parts of Azad Kashmir caused rivers to exceed their banks.

Rivers in the Bagh district overflowed due to intense rainfall, and significant flooding occurred in the Bhimbar drain in Samahni, where a tourist vehicle was swept away. Fortunately, all occupants were rescued.

Substantial increases in water flow were also recorded in Jhelum Valley, Samahni, Hattian Bala, and Neelum Valley.

AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwar ul Haq convened an emergency session of the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) and mandated the relocation of residents residing near riverbanks to safer locations.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister sanctioned financial aid for families impacted by the rainfall and directed that housing be provided to those whose homes were destroyed.

Furthermore, the Prime Minister instructed the establishment of emergency monitoring stations to oversee water resources.

The government has also announced the closure of public and private schools on August 15 and 16 due to continuing heavy rainfall and the risk of landslides.

AJK Information Minister Mazhar Saeed, in a video statement from Ratti Gali in Neelum Valley, reported that over 700 tourists, including more than 300 women and children, were stranded after a cloudburst damaged sections of the road.

He noted that authorities have restricted tourist departures due to adverse weather conditions and have arranged complimentary lodging with the support of local residents.

In KP’s Bajaur, severe flash floods and landslides in the Jabrrai and Salarzai areas have resulted in at least nine deaths and four injuries.

Rescue officials indicated that the flooding was triggered by torrential rainfall, causing a surge of water through villages and sweeping away homes and individuals.

The recent monsoon season has had a catastrophic impact throughout Pakistan, causing widespread flooding and landslides that have resulted in over 300 deaths nationwide.

Earlier, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) issued a warning regarding intensifying monsoon activity, anticipating more widespread rain, wind, and thundershowers in various regions of the country starting next week.

The forecast indicates that Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), upper Punjab, KP, and GB are likely to experience rain-wind/thundershowers with scattered heavy rainfall from August 14 to 17.