Road access to various parts of Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB) has been disrupted for the fourth consecutive day due to flash floods and glacial lake outburst floods (Glofs), causing damage to highways and hindering restoration efforts. Thousands of residents and tourists are stranded as road closures have isolated several valleys, leading to shortages of drinking water, electricity, and communication services. The unprecedented rise in temperatures between July 18 and July 21 resulted in rapid glacier melting and Glof incidents in multiple areas, as reported by the Director General of the GB Disaster Management Authority (GBDMA), Ataur Rehman Kakar.
Residents of Hisper Valley in Nagar district are facing severe hardships, with patients and students experiencing difficulties due to shortages of food and medicine, along with worsening essential supplies. Additionally, people from Diamer, Astore, Ghizer, and other affected districts are grappling with disruptions in electricity and water supply, as well as shortages of other essential commodities. Concerns have been raised by residents of Astore regarding the slow progress in reopening the Valley Road, which has left the valley isolated for three days, according to Dawn.
Last week, Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan witnessed extensive destruction caused by flash floods triggered by heavy rains. The GBDMA reported flash floods at six locations in Diamer on July 13, resulting in damage to several houses, the Karakoram Highway (KKH), crops, agricultural land, and public and private property. In Thore Valley, traffic was completely halted as the main road suffered severe damage in multiple areas, leading to difficulties for thousands of residents due to damaged power transmission lines and flood debris entering houses. Khanbari faced a devastating flash flood that swept away entire houses with their contents and reported incidents of livestock being washed away.
