Cloudburst-Induced Floods Devastate Ghizer, Hunza

News Desk

Gilgit: Fresh wave of cloudburst-induced floods struck Gilgit-Baltistan’s Ghizer and Hunza districts on Tuesday, inflicting widespread destruction to homes, infrastructure, and agricultural land, according to officials and local sources.

The Gilgit-Baltistan Disaster Management Authority (GBDMA) reported that heavy rainfall triggered flooding in Khatam village, located in Ghizer’s Gupis Valley, blocking the Ghizer-Shandur Road and damaging vast swathes of cultivated land and private property.

In upper Hunza’s Gojal region, floodwaters severely damaged an irrigation channel in Ghalapan village, which locals said supplies water to more than 50,000 forest trees.

In response to the worsening situation, the GB government has declared 37 villages as calamity-hit.

A notification issued by the GB Home and Prisons Department listed the affected areas: 12 villages in Diamer, nine in Gilgit, five in Ghizer, four each in Skardu and Shigar, two in Ghanche, and one each in Nagar and Kharmang.

Rs20 Billion in Losses

As per Dawn news, Gilgit-Baltistan government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq said the floods have caused an estimated Rs20 billion in damages.

Faizullah noted that the disaster has ravaged infrastructure, homes, agricultural lands, and public services across the region.

Faraq confirmed the deaths of 10 people — mostly tourists — in the recent flooding, with four others injured. Between 10 and 15 tourists remain missing, and search operations are ongoing. In addition, 22 vehicles were washed away by the floodwaters.

More than 500 homes have been damaged or destroyed, along with significant losses to crops, roads, bridges, and both public and private infrastructure. Emergency response and rehabilitation efforts have been launched across all affected areas.

Wider Pattern of Climate-Driven Disasters

Pakistan has been reeling from a series of climate-related disasters since June, including cloudbursts, glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), and intense monsoon rains.

GB remains among the worst-hit regions, bearing the brunt of these extreme weather events that have claimed multiple lives and caused severe damage to the fragile mountain infrastructure.

Provincial authorities have urged federal support and international assistance as they brace for further weather-related disruptions in the coming weeks.