At least six tourists were killed in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Diamer district as heavy floods battered the region, while a search for missing visitors was underway, an official said on Thursday.
The devastating impacts of climate change have become more visible in GB as cloudburst-induced floods wreaked havoc across the region. The flood-related death toll in the region rose to five on Tuesday, after four lost their lives and 15 went missing on Monday.
GB government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq said that rescue teams recovered another body in Babusar valley, taking the total number of deaths to six. “The search operation to locate the remaining tourists at Babusar is underway,” he added.
According to Rescue 1122, GB’s Ghanche district experienced floods in various areas. Flash floods in Kandos villages damaged a dozen homes, a dispensary, mosques, agricultural land and crops, it said.
Rescue 1122 also stated that flash floods in Sikarkoi damaged several houses and other infrastructure in Dass Mohallah and the surrounding areas in Gilgit.
Retired colonel’s body found as search for daughter swept away in Rawalpindi floodwaters continues
Separately, rescue teams on Thursday recovered the body of a retired colonel who went missing after his car was swept away by floodwaters and slipped into a drain in Rawalpindi last week, while a search for his daughter continues, rescue officials said.
Rescue efforts have been underway since Tuesday, when Retired Colonel Ishaq Qazi, aged approximately 62–64 years, and his 25-year-old daughter went missing after the car they were in was swept away by rainwater.
District Emergency Officer (DEO) Sibghatullah said, “The body of Ishaq had been found near the Soan River bridge, while rescue operations are underway to look for his daughter.”
Earlier today, Sibghatullah had said that rescue operations had entered a third day to search for the duo, while parts of their car had been found.
“Rescue 1122 found the bonnet and a door of the car under the Soan River bridge,” he said.
According to a statement by Islamabad’s Sihala police station on Tuesday, the duo were in a grey Honda vehicle and were residents of Defence Housing Authority’s Phase 5.
“Due to heavy rainwater accumulation on a nearby road, their vehicle stalled. While Colonel Ishaq attempted to restart the car, the flow of water intensified, and both individuals were swept away by the rainwater drain,” the police statement from Tuesday said.
On Tuesday morning, two girls were among four people swept away in separate incidents due to flash flooding in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
Pakistan experiences monsoon rainfall from June to September every year. The heavy rains also trigger deadly floods, landslides and displacement, particularly in vulnerable, poorly drained, or densely populated areas.
Last week, Section 144 was imposed across Punjab along with a state of emergency in several districts as heavy rains triggered flooding and claimed over 60 lives across the province in 24 hours.
Residents block GT Road protesting failure to recover teenager’s body
On the other hand, residents of a housing society blocked Rawalpindi’s Grand Trunk Road after the rescue teams could not recover the body of a teenager who had drowned a day earlier.
On Wednesday afternoon, a 17-year-old boy drowned while crossing a nullah near the Metro City Housing Society. He was walking on a small passage when high-speed torrents swept him away in deep waters.
Two of his relatives jumped in the water to rescue him, but they told Dawn.com that the water was moving at high speed and the boy could not be saved.
Gujar Khan assistant superintendent of police and assistant commissioner also reached the spot and called the Rescue 1122 team, who were unable to retrieve the body as of the filing of this report. The residents of the area blocked the GT Road, citing the “inaction and incapacity of Rescue 1122 in recovering the victim’s body after many hours”.
