Gilgit-Baltistan, JUL 21: At least three tourists were killed, four others were injured and 15 went missing after floods triggered by heavy rain swept through Gilgit-Baltistan’s (GB) Babusar area in Diamer district on Monday.
Monsoon rains, which fall across the region from June to September every year, continue to lash many parts of the country, prompting authorities to release an urban flooding warning for several cities.
According to Faizullah Firaq, spokesperson for the GB government, three bodies were recovered from flood debris today, while four injured people were transported to a hospital in Chilas.
“Fifteen other tourists have gone missing, as eight tourist vehicles were washed away in the raging flood,” Firaq said in a statement. “Medical assistance for the injured is ongoing, with one individual in critical condition.”
The spokesperson added that communication systems were disrupted due to a fibre optic break, while thousands of tourists were stranded and communication with their homes had been cut off.
“The government has successfully rescued hundreds of stranded tourists on Babusar Highway, and many have sought shelter with local residents,” Firaq said.
“The GB chief minister has ordered that all available resources be used to rescue those stranded. The Babusar Highway is closed at multiple points, with roads and farmland severely damaged.”
Meanwhile, Amir Khadam Khan, spokesperson for Rescue 1122 Mansehra, told Dawn.com that Jalkhad road in Naran was blocked by large stones and debris due to heavy rain in the area.
“According to initial reports, a car is stuck in the debris,” Khan said. “Fortunately, no loss of life or property has been reported so far.”
The National Highways Authority (NHA) deployed heavy machinery from nearby places to start the process of clearing the road and restoring traffic.
A Rescue 1122 ambulance also reached the scene to provide assistance in case of any possible emergency.
On June 29, the GB Disaster Management Authority issued a warning of increased risk of glacial lake outburst floods (Glof) and flash floods. The public and tourists were advised to avoid going near rivers, streams and other waterways, and avoid bathing or washing clothes in streams since the water flow can reach dangerous levels.
Monsoon rains in Punjab to continue until July 25: PDMA
A spokesperson for the Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said that there will be more monsoon rains in the province until July 25, according to a statement.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the Malakand and Hazara divisions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the southern parts of Punjab and Sindh, eastern Balochistan and parts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) were expected to receive rain and thunderstorms with strong winds.
Rain and thunderstorms were forecast for urban centres of Punjab in the south, such as Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Rajanpur and Dera Ghazi Khan, though overall weather of the province was expected to remain partly cloudy and humid.
According to the PDMA, Punjab will receive a fourth wave of monsoon rains until July 25, which the authority says is “slightly more powerful”.
“Rain has been forecast in Rawalpindi, Murree, Galiat, Attock, Chakwal, Mandi Bahauddin, Hafizabad, Gujarat, Jhelum and Gujranwala,” the statement read. “Rain is also expected in Lahore, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Narowal, Toba Tek Singh, Jhang, Sargodha and Mianwali,” its statement read.
“Rain is also predicted in Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar and Multan.”
Punjab PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia announced that due to the heavy rain, there is a high possibility of increased water flow in rivers.
“A flood alert has been issued for rivers and canals in Punjab,” the statement quoted him as saying.
The PDMA warned that there is a possibility of increased flow in the Ravi, Jhelum, Sutlej and Chenab rivers, while stating that water flow in the Indus River was measured at 420,000 cusecs at the Taunsa barrage.
The Flood Forecasting Division showed that by 6pm, water flow at the Taunsa barrage stood at 383,456 cusecs.
A screenshot from the Flood Forecasting Division shows water flows in rivers. — FFD
“In the Indus River, there is a low-level flood at Tarbela, Kala Bagh and Chashma,” the PDMA said.
The PDMA DG said that on the instructions of the Punjab chief minister, an alert has been issued to all administrations across the province.
“Deputy commissioners have been instructed to remain in the field, while Section 144 should be imposed along the banks of rivers and canals,” Kathia said, instructing police to increase patrols along waterways.
The DG added: “All relevant departments, including Wasa, Rescue 1122 and district administrations, should be on alert. The drainage of standing water from low-lying areas must be ensured, as must the deployment of machinery and staff at choke points.”
Kathia further ordered that disposal stations be kept functional, while urging people in private housing to ensure adequate drainage. He warned that those unable to ensure drainage would face action.
He also urged the public to take precautionary measures amid heavy rain, such as keeping away from electric pylons and appliances during a storm and avoiding houses made from mud or in dilapidated condition.
So far, 123 people have been killed and 462 injured since June 25 as the province received record rainfall, triggering urban flooding which inundated residential areas, the PDMA said last week. Of these, 71 deaths were reported in the past two days alone.
