ISLAMABAD/ CHILAS:
A heavy cloudburst triggered devastating flash floods in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Thor Valley in Diamer district, sweeping away homes, orchards, standing crops, bridges and vehicles, severing road links and leaving affected communities stranded as national disaster authorities warned of an increased risk of glacial lake outbursts in northern mountain regions.
The floods, triggered by heavy rains on Friday, caused widespread destruction in several parts of the valley.
Authorities said damaged roads have complicated rescue efforts, while residents appealed for immediate relief, compensation and a comprehensive assessment of losses.
According to the police, floods engulfed large parts of the Thor valley and washed away houses, orchards, cultivated land, connecting bridges and vehicles.
The flood also entered Wapda Colony causing extensive damage to buildings, roads and other infrastructure.
Police said the main road connecting the Thor valley had been blocked in several places, cutting off a large population from the rest of the district and making relief operations increasingly difficult.
Flood victims called on the government to launch immediate relief operations, assess the losses and provide financial assistance to affected families.
One resident said: “I have suffered huge losses and even my gold has been washed away.”
Assistant Director Disaster Management Diamer, Imtiaz Ahmed, said efforts were on to restore road access and provide relief to the affected areas.
He said relief operations and road restoration had already begun, but blocked routes posed serious challenges for rescue teams and aid workers.
The local administration said it is continuously monitoring the situation and working to restore access to isolated communities as soon as possible.
The disaster came as the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) through its National Emergency Operation Center (NEOC) issued a fresh warning of an elevated risk of glacial lake outbursts and flash floods between June 27 and July 3 across Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
According to the advisory, prolonged high temperatures combined with expected precipitation are expected to accelerate glacier melting, increasing water flow in rivers and mountain streams.
Authorities warned that rapidly melting glaciers could cause a sudden rise in river levels, while increased pressure on glacial lakes could trigger glacial lake flooding, flash floods, landslides and mudslides.
The alert identified Hunza, Nagar, Ghizer, Skardu, Shigar, Ghanche, Kharmang, Astore, Diamer, Upper and Lower Chitral, Swat and adjoining hilly areas as particularly vulnerable.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) also warned that rising temperatures are likely to continue until the first week of July, significantly accelerating snow and glacier melting over northern Pakistan.
“This significant warming will significantly accelerate the melting of snow and ice in these regions’ glacial valleys,” the Met Office said.
It warned that river flows would remain unusually high, existing glacial lakes could expand rapidly and new glacial lakes could form due to increased meltwater.
The PMD further warned that expanding glacial lakes could destabilize natural ice or moraine dams, potentially triggering Glof events, while powerful mudflows, debris flows and landslides could also occur in steep mountainous terrain.
The department advised residents, tourists and travelers to avoid riverbanks, streams, glacial lakes and mountain nullahs, refrain from camping or hiking near vulnerable water channels and avoid unstable slopes where melting snow could trigger landslides.
The NDMA also advised people to avoid unnecessary movement near rivers, streams and glacial lakes, monitor official weather reports before traveling to mountainous areas and immediately report any sudden rise in water levels, unusual changes in water color or abnormal sounds from glaciers to the relevant authorities.
The authority warned that flooding and landslides could damage roads, bridges, irrigation systems and other critical infrastructure, while temporary road closures and flooding in low-lying settlements remain possible.
The Danish Health Authority ordered all relevant departments to maintain continuous monitoring of glaciers, glacial lakes, rivers and weather conditions.
Following the PMD advisory, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) directed Deputy Commissioners of Upper and Lower Chitral, Upper Dir, Swat, Upper and Lower Kohistan and Mansehra to conduct proactive monitoring of vulnerable places.
District administrations were instructed to conduct evacuation drills, prepare shelters, launch awareness campaigns and warn residents living in low-lying areas of potential dangers.
The PDMA also directed local authorities to coordinate with the National Highways Authority (NHA), Frontier Works Organization (FWO) and Communication and Works Department to ensure timely restoration of roads and bridges in case of flood damage.
Authorities have been asked to take all necessary precautions to minimize loss of life, livestock, crops and infrastructure as temperatures continue to fuel the melting of glaciers across the country’s northern mountains.
