• Hundreds rescued, many sheltered by locals; eight tourist vehicles swept away by floods
• Portion of KKH damaged
• Houses, schools, crops, orchards damaged
• PDMA issues river alert for Punjab
GILGIT: At least four tourists were killed, two others injured and 15 went missing after floods triggered by heavy rain swept through Gilgit-Baltistan’s (GB) Babusar area in Diamer district on Monday.
The devastating impacts of climate change became more visible in Gilgit-Baltistan as a cloudburst-induced flood wreaked havoc across the region.
GB government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq said the flood washed away eight tourist vehicles in the Thak area. He confirmed that at least 15 tourists are missing, with four bodies, including that of a woman from Lodhran (Punjab), recovered so far. The injured and deceased have been shifted to a local hospital.
The spokesperson said that the Babusar Highway was also blocked.
Communication and electricity infrastructure have been disrupted in the area. Mr Faraq said hundreds of stranded tourists have been rescued, while many have been given shelter by local residents.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Abdul Hameed told Dawn that the situation is alarming due to the high intensity of the flood. He said the flood’s path stretched about seven kilometres. At least three tourist vehicles were seen being washed away.
He estimated that 20 to 30 tourists from different parts of the country might be missing.
Rescue teams are working to trace them, though operations are hampered by continued mudflow.
The flood also damaged a portion of the Karakoram Highway (KKH), leaving thousands of tourists and passengers stranded on both sides. Meanwhile, Gilgit-Baltistan chief minister has directed authorities to utilise all available resources to rescue and assist those affected. Agricultural land, crops, trees, public and private property, and infrastructure have suffered extensive damage.
Floods hit Ghizer
On the other hand, flash floods caused by cloudbursts also created disasters in multiple areas of the Ghizer district. Local administration officials reported that the villages of Kanche and Salpi were particularly hard-hit, with over a dozen homes, agricultural lands, standing crops, and basic infrastructure destroyed.
In Yasin’s upper Thui area, brief rainfall on Saturday night triggered a flash flood that severely damaged residential houses and a private educational institution.
Six homes were completely destroyed, and several others — including a school run by the Aga Khan Education Service — were partially damaged. Large areas of wheat fields, as well as apricot and cherry orchards, were also ravaged.
Flood victims have appealed to the government for immediate assistance.
In Skardu, Rescue 1122 has placed Gamba station on high alert due to the rising flood threat in Bargi and Sadpara nullahs.
The floods damaged public and private property, agricultural land, and roads, and entered residential homes.
Drinking and irrigation water channels were also damaged.
Baltistan Commissioner Kamal Khan visited the area and mobilised machinery for restoration of water supply and roads.
Administration officials said rising water levels in the Khunjerab river have damaged the KKH at Passu in Gojal, threatening to sever upper valleys from rest of the region and cut off Pakistan’s only road link to China via Khunjerab Pass.
Gilgit-Baltistan Environmental Protection Agency (GBEP) Director Khadim Hussain told Dawn that Gilgit-Baltistan has experienced record temperature this year.
“High temperatures and humidity have persisted for over a month and a half. These conditions are triggering frequent cloudbursts across the region,” he said.
He explained that cloudbursts are causing severe flash floods in the mountainous terrain, where mud and rockslides intensify downstream destruction.
Rains lash Mansehra
In the meantime, the monsoon downpour, which began in the afternoon, continued across Mansehra, Torghar, Upper Kohistan, Lower Kohistan, and Kolai-Palas for the rest of the day.
Link roads in Kaghan, Siren, and Konsh valleys of Mansehra and various parts of Torghar were blocked due to landslides triggered by the rains.
PDMA alert for Punjab
Meanwhile, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on Monday issued a flood alert for the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej rivers, warning of medium to high-level flows due to heavy rainfall expected between July 21 and 23.
According to PDMA’s latest Daily Situation Report, the Indus River at Taunsa is currently at a medium flood level with inflows of 429,200 cusecs.
PDMA has directed the commissioners of Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Lahore, Sahiwal, and Bahawalpur, along with the deputy commissioners of multiple districts including Jhelum, Gujrat, Lahore, and Faisalabad, to take immediate action and implement precautionary measures.
Imran Gabol in Lahore and Nisar Ahmad Khan in Mansehra also contributed to this report
Published in Dawn, July 22nd, 2025