By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: More than a dozen people were killed in flash floods and landslides triggered by heavy monsoon rains across northern Pakistan on Thursday, with authorities scrambling to relocate residents and tourists from vulnerable areas amid warnings of further downpours.
The deluge struck hardest in Azad Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan, washing away homes, bridges and roads, while Punjab braced for potential flooding as river levels rose. In AJK’s Muzaffarabad district, a massive landslide buried a family of six in Sarli Sacha village, with all feared dead.
A cloudburst unleashed a wall of water down Jhugiyan Nullah, destroying summer homes and livestock, while floods in Machhiara Nullah obliterated a major bridge. In Sudhnoti district, Misbah Ashfaq, 26, was swept away by a stream and died. Deputy Commissioner Mumtaz Kazmi said 34 houses in his district were partially or completely damaged. Akhtar Begum, 57, was killed in Bagh district when her home collapsed.
The northeastern Neelum Valley saw major disruptions, with tourists shifted to safety. More than 600 tourists at the Ratti Gali lake base camp were advised to stay put after the link road was damaged. Floods washed away two bridges over Lawat Nullah and a bridge in Kundal Shahi over the swollen Jagran Nullah. A scenic riverside restaurant and at least three houses were swept away.
In Jhelum Valley, a cloudburst over Palhot triggered a flash flood that damaged roads and stranded dozens of vehicles. In Nardajiyan village, a torrent swept away six shops. With the Neelum River rising rapidly, authorities issued a flood warning and planned to relocate riverside families.
The Muzaffarabad-Mansehra highway remained blocked at Lohar Gali due to a landslide. In Neelum district, two bridges in Kutten and three link bridges over Lawat stream were washed away, according to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA). Several tourists remained stranded at Ratti Gali base camp.
Information Minister Mazhar Saeed, in a video message from Ratti Gali, said over 700 tourists, including more than 300 women and children, were stranded after a cloudburst washed away road sections. Due to bad weather, authorities have stopped tourists from leaving and arranged free accommodation with local residents’ help, he noted. Any decision on departure would be made Friday morning once weather clears. In Athmuqam, landslide debris was cleared on the Neelum Valley road at Barian Seri, restoring access. The AJK government closed public and private schools on August 15 and 16 due to continued rains and landslide risks.
In Gilgit-Baltistan, flash floods killed at least eight people with two missing in Ghizer district, devastating villages in Khalti, Ishkoman and Yasin areas. “Daen Area of Ishkoman Tehsil, Khalti of Gupis Tehsil and Thoi, Barkulti and Taus areas of Yasin Tehsil have received short but heavy rains, which devastated many villages and infrastructure,” said provincial spokesperson Faizullah Faraq.
In Khalti valley, a house with at least seven people was struck by debris, Additional Deputy Commissioner Mir Afzal said. Only two bodies and one injured girl were recovered. An elderly man in Barkulti died after being caught in floods. Floods damaged over a dozen houses, vehicles, schools and health units, blocking major arteries including the Karakoram Highway and Baltistan Highway at several points.
In Diamer, flash floods submerged parts of Babusar Road. In Gilgit city, flooding damaged the main Naltar power station, causing darkness, the deputy commissioner said. Residents near the river in Baseen were moved to safer locations as a precaution. Faraq said eight people were killed and two injured in Ghizer, adding a brother and sister died and two sustained injuries in Diamer. Several roads damaged by floods are being repaired, with Babusar Highway restored at Loshi point and Karakoram Highway at Gandlu point. In Chilas, Indus River water rose at Soniwal Kot, flooding settlements and damaging houses, local residents said.
Hundreds in Gilgit-Baltistan have fallen victim to water-borne diseases due to clean water shortages post-floods, government data showed. “Diamer, Shigar, Skardu, Astore, and Gilgit are most affected by poor and unsafe water, with the people of these districts being admitted to hospitals and clinics every day,” Faraq said. A government report said children under five have fallen victim to cholera, diarrhoea, typhoid and pneumonia.
Thousands in Gilgit’s Danyor city lack clean water since July 21 floods. Last Monday, seven volunteers died and six injured in a landslide at a water channel in Danyor. Poor quality tanker water has sickened hundreds with stomach diseases.
Dr Muhammad Iqbal, running a clinic in Danyor main market, said unfiltered tanker water since spring cutoff has led to alarming stomach disease increase, with most health centres seeing more such patients. The increase in diarrhoea and cholera caused Flagyl shortage, he added. Private clinics stay open till 2am as government hospitals lack medicines.
Devastating climate change impacts visible in GB with heatwaves, erratic weather, glacial melting triggering cloudbursts and floods. Wednesday, a glacial lake outburst flood swept part of Karakoram Highway; Tuesday, torrent through Juchar nullah in Gulmit, Gojal, Hunza from glacier melt.
Recent monsoon wreaked havoc nationwide, claiming over 300 lives.
In Punjab, authorities on high alert as rains battered areas, swelling rivers and nullahs. PDMA said Sutlej at Ganda Singh Wala flowed at 64,554 cusecs Thursday evening, crossing low-flood mark of 18 feet. Rising waters prompted rescue in Shakargarh, four men stranded in Nullah Bain. PMD cautioned flash floods in streams, nullahs in KP, Punjab, Islamabad, Murree, Galliyat, AJK August 15-21 and , eastern Balochistan August 18-21.
Urban flooding possible in low-lying Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sialkot, Peshawar, Nowshera. Landslides, mudslides may disrupt hilly roads; windstorms, lightning damage structures, poles, billboards, vehicles.
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