Ten killed as floods and landslides hit Gilgit-Baltistan and AJK

• AJK govt closes schools for two days due to downpours.
• In Gilgit, flooding damages main Naltar power station, says DC.
• People living near riverbanks evacuated in Baseen due to flood risk.

MUZAFFARABAD: At least ten people, including women and children, died on Thursday as heavy rains triggered flash floods and landslides across Gilgit-Baltistan and parts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), officials said.

In AJK, the government announced the closure of public and private schools on August 15 and 16 owing to continued heavy rains and the risk of landslides. 

A day earlier, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) had warned of intensifying monsoon activity with more widespread rain, wind and thundershowers expected in several parts of the country from next week.

According to the forecast, Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), upper Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Gilgit-Baltistan are likely to receive rain-wind/thundershowers with scattered heavy falls from August 14 to 17.

In Gilgit-Baltistan, eight people were killed and two others injured in the Ghizer district, said the GB government's spokesperson Faizullah Firaq, adding that a brother and sister died and two others sustained injuries in the Diamer district.

He said that several roads damaged by the floods are being repaired, adding that key routes including Babusar Highway had been restored at Loshi point and Karakoram Highway at Gandlu point."

Relief operations are under way in the areas hit by floods, he pointed out.

In Gilgit city, flooding damaged the main Naltar power station, plunging the area into darkness, said the deputy commissioner, adding that residents living near the river in Baseen were moved to safer locations as a precaution in view of the the flooding risk.

In Athmuqam, landslide debris was cleared on the Neelum Valley road at Barian Seri, restoring access, said local police. 

In Chilas, water flow in the Indus River rose at Soniwal Kot, a village situated at the junction of River Indus and Thurnala, flooding nearby settlements and damaging several houses, local residents said.

In Muzaffarabad, AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwar ul Haq chaired a meeting of the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) and ordered the relocation of residents living along riverbanks to safer places. 

During the meeting, the premier also approved financial assistance for rain-affected families and directed that housing be provided to those whose homes were destroyed.

PM Haq issued orders to take measures for the protection of residents along the Jhelum River in Hattian Bala.

He directed the authorities to assess damage to power infrastructure in Jhelum, Neelum and Bagh, and told the electricity department to submit a detailed report.

The premier also ordered the establishment of emergency checkpoints to monitor water resources. The meeting he chaired also agreed to launch an operation to remove encroachments along riverbanks.

In Neelum district, two bridges in Kutten and three link bridges over the Lawat stream were washed away by floods, according to the SDMA.

The SDMA said that several tourists remain stranded at the Ratti Gali base camp. Partial power supply has been restored from the Noseri grid station, according to engineer Sikandar Khan.

Meantime, Information Minister Mazhar Saeed, speaking in a video message from the tourist spot of Ratti Gali in Neelum Valley, said over 700 tourists, including more than 300 women and children, were stranded after a cloudburst washed away sections of the road. 

Due to bad weather, he noted, authorities have stopped tourists from leaving the area and arranged free accommodation with the help of local residents. 

Any decision on the departure of tourists from Ratti Gali will be made this morning once the weather clears, he said.

The recent monsoon season has wreaked havoc across Pakistan, causing widespread flooding and landslides that claimed over 260 lives nationwide. Gilgit-Baltistan, a key tourist region, was severely affected. Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan reported at least ten deaths and extensive damage to homes, water channels, and roads.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recently visited the region, distributing compensation cheques under a Rs4 billion relief package, ordering urgent restoration of infrastructure. He prayed for the injured and pledged continued support for the affected families.

Highlighting the growing threat of climate change, the prime minister emphasised the urgent need for early warning systems and announced plans for a 100-megawatt solar power project in Gilgit-Baltistan to bolster the region’s energy supply.

The PMD has cautioned of potential flash floods in local streams and nullahs in KP, Punjab, Islamabad, Murree, Galliyat, and AJK from August 15 to 21, and in hill torrents of DG Khan and eastern Balochistan from August 18 to 21. 

Urban flooding is possible in low-lying areas of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sialkot, Peshawar, and Nowshera, said the Met Office.

Landslides and mudslides may disrupt roads in hilly regions, while windstorms and lightning could damage weak structures, electric poles, billboards, and vehicles.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has issued an alert for the seventh spell of monsoon rains from August 13 to 15, warning of heavy showers in Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, and Dera Ghazi Khan. 

Heavy downpours are also forecast in the upper reaches of the Indus, Chenab, Sutlej, Jhelum, and Ravi rivers.