Severe glacial floods have cut off several valleys in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB) for fourth day,leaving thousands of residents and tourists stranded. Glacier melting,spurred by high temperatures,has led to flash floods and glacial lake outbursts.
Major routes like Karakoram Highway (KKH) and Gilgit-Shandur Road are open again, but key roads like Baltistan Road, Astore Valley Road,Naltar Highway,and Hisper Road remain blocked. Mudflows,high water,and road collapses are hampering relief efforts,leaving many without essential supplies .
Director General of Gilgit-Baltistan Disaster Management Authority (GBDMA),Ataur Rehman Kakar,said heavy machinery is working nonstop to clear roads. Rising river levels complicate efforts. From July 18 to July 21, unprecedented temperatures led to rapid glacier melting and GLOFs.
GB Chief Minister Amjad Hussain ordered helicopter rescues where roads are fully blocked . He also told officials to set up a light-vehicle route for Baltistan in two days and ensure food and essential supplies reach all affected districts.
Some main highways are reopening, but communities in Astore, Diamer, Ghizer, and Nagar face severe shortages of water, electricity,food,and communication. Landslides have wrecked fiber-optic lines, disrupting mobile and internet access.
In Hisper Valley, Nagar district,residents have been cut off nearly two months due to GLOFs. On July 22,floods washed away parts of the road — 300 feet at Apiharai,800 feet at Bayo Khai. A temporary pedestrian track by the river is now the only way locals can move medicines and supplies .
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) warns of more rain,thunderstorms,and heavy falls through July 28,risking further landslides and GLOFs in vulnerable valleys. GBDMA reports say conditions are stabilizing in some districts, but key choke points like Haramosh Road, Naltar Road, Hisper Road,and parts of Astore Valley and Hushe Valley roads will stay closed until weather improves for full engineering works.
At least 37 people have died in rain-related incidents during the monsoon,which has triggered flash floods and landslides across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, PoGB,Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir,and Punjab. Floods have devastated homes,crops,livestock, and infrastructure.
