By Staff Reporter
GILGIT: Hundreds of tourists and residents were left stranded across Gilgit-Baltistan on Tuesday after cloudbursts and rapid glacial melting triggered flash floods that tore through homes, roads, bridges and farmland in the mountainous northern region of Pakistan.
The deluge forced the closure of a stretch of the Karakoram Highway near Altashi Nullah in the Gini area of Chilas, cutting off one of the country’s most vital arteries and stranding travellers along the route.
Officials warned that surging water levels in the Hunza, Nagar and Indus rivers, along with numerous smaller streams, threatened communities downstream, with riverbank erosion already reported in several locations.
The worst of the damage was concentrated in Ghizer district, where flash floods in Mayon village blocked the Ishkoman River and formed an artificial lake. Local authorities said the lake went on to inundate Hasis village, submerging dozens of homes, swathes of agricultural land and public infrastructure beneath its waters.
Residents were evacuated as floodwater poured into the village. According to locals, at least 15 houses were damaged, while a school, a mosque, farmland and other essential infrastructure remained submerged. The Ghizer-Ishkoman Road was completely cut off by the lake, severing access to the Ishkoman Valley, though officials later reported that water had begun draining from the temporary reservoir.
Further flooding damaged homes and farmland in Sherqila, with additional flooding recorded in Salpi, Aishi, Damas, Haim and Dilnati. Roads were washed out and electricity poles toppled in multiple locations, disrupting power supplies across the affected areas.
Gilgit-Baltistan’s Chief Minister, Amjad Hussain, ordered the region’s Disaster Management Authority and district administrations to accelerate rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts.
In Gilgit district, a cloudburst caused extensive damage in the upper reaches of Naltar Valley. Rescue 1122 officials said 12 houses were damaged, agricultural land and crops destroyed, and several families displaced. The Naltar Highway was blocked at multiple points, leaving tourists unable to leave the area.
In Upper Hunza, rapid glacial melt damaged sections of the Karakoram Highway close to Gulmit, after a surge in water discharge from Juchar Nallah in the Gojal area temporarily blocked the route. The highway has since reopened, according to the local administration.
Punjab braces for further rain as embankments hold
The flooding was not confined to the north. Heavy monsoon rain also caused urban flooding in several cities across Punjab, prompting provincial minister Khawaja Salman Rafique to visit flood-prone areas and inspect protective embankments in Jalalpur Pirwala.
Accompanied by Punjab Disaster Management Authority Director General Saif Anwar Jappa, the minister reviewed flood defences, rescue arrangements, evacuation plans and relief preparedness in the area.
He said two protective embankments — at Jalalpur Pirwala and Nooraja Bhatta — had been constructed at a cost of two billion rupees, and that Rescue 1122 and other emergency departments had been equipped with modern machinery and equipment. The minister said the government had ensured sufficient resources were in place for flood protection.
Multan Commissioner Amir Karim told the minister that a newly completed 7.2-kilometre embankment at Jalalpur Pirwala would shield the town from backflow along the River Chenab. Digital mapping of flood-prone areas had also been finalised, he said, with all relevant departments remaining on high alert.
The Punjab Disaster Management Authority reported widespread rainfall across the province, with teams working to drain accumulated water from urban areas. The weather system responsible for the rain is expected to persist until Wednesday.
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