Over 100 homes damaged as flash floods hit G-B’s Ghizer district

Flash floods struck Roshan valley in Ghizer district of Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) early Friday after a glacier burst, damaging more than 100 houses and forcing hundreds of families to flee, said officials.

Ghizer, about 200 km from G-B, was among the worst-hit valleys in the recent floods, with at least 10 fatalities reported.

Last month’s torrential rains in G-B triggered flash floods and landslides, leaving over 200 tourists and travellers stranded.

At least five people, including four tourists and one local resident, lost their lives. Authorities reported 14 to 15 major road blockages caused by boulders, debris, and sudden flooding, cutting off access on key routes such as Babusar Top and parts of the Karakoram Highway at Lal Parhi and Tatta Pani, where several vehicles were trapped.

The Pakistan Army deployed helicopters to evacuate those stuck in isolated areas, while heavy machinery was used to clear sections of the road from Thalichi to Chilas, with clearance operations continuing in Tatta Pani and Jalipur.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also announced a Rs4 billion relief package for the flood-hit G-B region, alongside plans for a 100-megawatt solar energy project.

G-B government spokesman Faizullah Faraq told The Express Tribune that floodwaters swept away a century-old bridge, submerged agricultural lands and orchards, and washed away a one-kilometre stretch of road.

“A seven-kilometre-long artificial lake has formed due to the floods, increasing risks for surrounding villages,” he warned.

“More than 100 households have been directly affected, forcing large-scale displacement as families move with their belongings to safer locations,” he said, adding that farmlands, orchards, a timber factory, flour mills and other infrastructure had also been destroyed.

Read: Evacuation ordered as Sutlej swells

The spokesperson confirmed that all stranded people had been rescued, but “hundreds have already been displaced and are moving with their belongings to safer areas.”

He added that government teams are carrying out relief operations in the region.

Rescue 1122 officials warned about an artificial dam created in Roshan, saying if it bursts, the Ghizer River could trigger flooding in low-lying parts of Gilgit city.

Officials added that mosque and Imambargah announcements are being made to alert people about precautionary evacuation. The emergency service stressed these steps were being taken “to reduce possible losses in case of an untoward situation”.

G-B Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan visited the affected areas to review relief operations, accompanied by provincial ministers Engineer Mohammad Anwar and Rahmat Khaliq, Speaker Nazir Advocate and lawmaker Nawaz Naji. Deputy Commissioner Ghizer briefed the chief minister on losses suffered by local communities.

The CM ordered the immediate evacuation of flood-hit areas to safer locations and directed officials to provide relief and medical aid. He also thanked the Commander FCNA for swiftly launching a rescue operation.

Separately, more than 700 people have been killed and nearly 1,000 injured in monsoon-related incidents across the country since June 26, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). In Punjab, at least 165 people have died and 584 others have been injured due to rain-related incidents.

Of the total fatalities, at least 356 were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). In Karachi, at least 10 people lost their lives as heavy downpours inundated neighbourhoods, crippled traffic and caused widespread power outages, prompting the mayor to declare a rain emergency.