Landslides
GILGIT: Thousands of people, including foreign tourists, remain stranded at multiple locations across Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) after landslides blocked several major roads, including the vital Karakoram Highway (KKH). Widespread disruption of mobile and internet services has further compounded the crisis, following severe damage to fibre optic cables in the region.
According to GB government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq, the KKH is currently blocked at Achar Nallah in the Kohistan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
While sections of the highway within Gilgit-Baltistan have been reopened, restoration efforts in Kohistan are still ongoing, leaving thousands of passengers—including tourists—trapped on both sides of the route.
In addition to KKH, the Babusar Pass Road has also been blocked at several locations due to landslides. However, Mr. Faraq confirmed that all tourists stranded on the Babusar route have been successfully evacuated. Those rescued have been accommodated in Chilas, where local hoteliers and authorities have provided free lodging and other assistance.
The region’s communication infrastructure has also suffered significant setbacks. For several hours on Wednesday, mobile and internet services were suspended after flash floods in Babusar Valley damaged the main fibre optic cable connecting GB with Rawalpindi.
The Special Communications Organisation (SCO) arranged emergency satellite connectivity as a temporary solution, but residents faced extremely slow internet and mobile services. Restoration work is now underway.
Deputy Speaker of the GB Assembly, Sadia Danish, raised concern over 40 individuals reportedly stranded in Danyore’s Manogah Nallah. She urged the government to immediately initiate a helicopter rescue operation, emphasizing that human life must be the top priority.
She also praised the tireless efforts of the Pakistan Army, volunteers, and local authorities in ongoing rescue operations, while commending the generosity of residents who opened their homes, mosques, imambargahs, and hotels to stranded tourists.
In a related development, severe river erosion in Shigar led to the collapse of the Hotu suspension bridge—cutting off the only access to the K2 base camp. A significant number of foreign mountaineers and trekkers are now stranded, along with residents of eight isolated villages.
To address the growing crisis, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has announced a special C-130 airlift from Gilgit to Islamabad, scheduled for Thursday (today), to evacuate stranded tourists free of charge. The operation will be supervised by Gilgit’s Additional Deputy Commissioner.
Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan has assured the public that rescue and relief efforts will continue until all those stranded are safely recovered. He also declared the flood-hit areas of Thaki, Niyat, Khunra, and Thor in Diamer as disaster zones. Families of those who lost their lives in the Babusar floods will receive compensation in line with government policy.
The chief minister has directed authorities to prioritize the restoration of essential services, including drinking water, electricity, irrigation systems, and road access in the flood-affected areas. He personally visited the disaster zones, accompanied by Adviser on Forests Haji Shah Baig and GB Minister for Agriculture Engineer Anwar, to oversee ongoing recovery efforts.
