GILGIT: Flash floods, driven by rapidly melting glaciers, have caused severe disruptions in Gilgit-Baltistan, with the Karakoram Highway blocked at several points due to mudslides.
The intense heatwaves have accelerated glacier melting, resulting in swollen rivers and streams that have inundated the region.
The floods have devastated local agriculture and caused extensive damage to homes. In addition to the KKH, which is obstructed at various locations from Gilgit to Khunjerab, the Gilgit-Shandur road has also been closed due to floodwaters. The blocked highways have stranded thousands of passengers, including both local and international tourists.
In Gilgit’s Jaglot and Hunza’s Shishkat village, mudflows have led to significant disruptions on the KKH. The Gilgit-Ghizer road has also been affected, with multiple sections closed off after local nullahs in the Ghizer district overflowed.
This flooding has damaged public and private properties, with over two dozen houses reported as completely damaged and around thirty more suffering partial damage.
The floods have further impacted infrastructure, damaging bridges, roads, water supply channels, and electricity systems, and cutting off several villages in Ghizer.
Flash floods have also been reported in Aliabad, Haiderabad, and other parts of Hunza, as well as in Shigar and Nagar.
There has been no official update from the government on the full extent of the damage across the affected districts.
Despite efforts to obtain information, the director general of the GB disaster management was unavailable for comment. The situation remains critical as rescue and relief operations continue amidst the ongoing natural disaster.
