MUZAFFARABAD/GILGIT:
Torrential rains and flash floods have caused widespread destruction across Azad Kashmir, Kaghan Valley and Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), leaving at least 10 people dead — including women — and hundreds stranded.
According to Express News, a cloudburst in a suburban area of Muzaffarabad killed five members of the same family.
In Neelum Valley, around 50 tourists, who got trapped in Ratti Gali Nullah, were rescued, but about 500 others remain stranded at the base camp, where several bridges have been swept away and roads blocked.
In G-B’s Ghizer district, floods in Khalti swept away five people. The bodies of a woman and a child were recovered, while the search for three others continues. Six houses were completely destroyed, while flash floods in Chitorkhand and Dain Nullah blocked the Ishkoman River, prompting the evacuation of residents from low-lying areas due to fears of a breach.
The State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) reported that a woman was killed after being struck by a rock in Dana Daliyaar, UC Machhiara, while another woman died and one person was injured after being swept away in Pulandri Nullah.
In Jhelum Valley, three shops and a watermill were destroyed by flooding in Nar Dajian Nullah, while three people trapped during flooding in Chhattar Nullah, Poonch, were rescued.
In Bagh district, around 400 tourists stranded after their vehicle was caught in floodwaters were rescued. Landslides have blocked the Muzaffarabad-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa link road at Lohar Gali and the Bani Hafiz-Hattian Bala road in Jhelum Valley. Access to Leepa Valley has been cut off at Dudupura, and the Hajira-Abbaspur road in Poonch has been blocked at Berri.
Floods have also washed away two pedestrian bridges in Nullah Lawat, while heavy rain in Nathiagali led to three girls drowning in Gilyat Tajwal; two were rescued, but one died after drowning in water.
PMD warning
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued a warning of accelerated snow and glacier melt in Gilgit-Baltistan as temperatures in the region remain 7-9 degree Celsius above normal.
The unusual heat is significantly intensifying the rate of snow and ice melting, raising the risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs).
According to the PMD’s Flood Forecasting Division, both maximum and minimum temperatures are persistently higher than the average, leading to massive snowmelt and increased water inflow into reservoirs.
The data shows that up to the first 10 days of August, inflow into the Tarbela Reservoir during the current kharif season has reached 41.8 million acre-feet (MAF), which is 5.64 MAF above the normal seasonal inflow of 36.16 MAF.
The department cautioned that the rapid melting of snow could lead to the formation and expansion of glacial lakes, which pose a serious flood threat to downstream areas. Officials urged relevant authorities and communities to remain vigilant, particularly in vulnerable valleys, to mitigate potential disaster impacts.
Monsoon rains, which fall across the region from June to September every year, continue to lash many parts of the country. Starting in late June, Monsoon rains have wreaked havoc across the country in the past month by triggering deadly floods, landslides and displacement, particularly in vulnerable, poorly drained, or densely populated areas.
The torrential rains led to the blockage of the Karakoram Highway (KKH) at multiple points within Abbottabad city, leaving commuters stranded for hours.
According to local authorities, all major nullahs and ravines in the district, including the River Door, swelled beyond their banks, creating dangerous conditions for nearby residents and motorists.
The sudden surge of water from the upper catchment areas inundated low-lying localities and washed debris onto the KKH, making several stretches impassable. Rescue and relief teams, along with the traffic police, were deployed to clear the road and assist stranded passengers.
