Home / Environment / Gilgit Floods Devastate Diamer, Karakoram Highway Blocked
Gilgit Floods Devastate Diamer, Karakoram Highway Blocked
14 Jul
Summary
- Flash floods hit six locations in Diamer district early Monday.
- Damages include houses, Karakoram Highway, crops, and property.
- A private company lost 17 heavy vehicles to floodwaters.
Heavy rainfall has unleashed destructive flash floods across Diamer district in Gilgit-Baltistan, severely impacting several areas including Khanbari, Niyat, and Thore Valley. The floods, which occurred early Monday, damaged numerous houses, critical infrastructure like the Karakoram Highway and local roads, agricultural land, and private property. Power supply to Thore Valley and surrounding regions was disrupted due to damaged transmission lines, affecting thousands of residents.
In Khanbari, two houses were swept away, along with livestock. Development work on the Diamer-Bhasha Dam project came to a standstill after floodwaters claimed 17 heavy vehicles belonging to a private company. The Karakoram Highway experienced blockages due to landslides and debris in Bonar Das, stranding passengers, including tourists, for hours. While the highway was later cleared, numerous link roads remain impassable.
Experts highlight an alarming increase in climate change-induced disasters in Gilgit-Baltistan, citing frequent cloudbursts, flash floods, landslides, and GLOFs. Rising river levels and mudflows pose continuous threats, damaging infrastructure and agricultural assets. The region, home to extensive glaciers and glacial lakes, faces escalating risks of GLOFs and threats to water security due to accelerated glacier melt driven by rising temperatures.
