Emergency in Gilgit: Flooding in Hunza River devastates village, houses

GILGIT: Severe heat and the persistent rainfall and brought on flooding in Hunza River, creating an emergency situation in the Faizabad village of Gilgit.

A sudden surge in the water has washed away two swimming pools, hotels, and homes, seriously damaging the property of the citizens and forcing them to relocate.The situation is dire as an electricity pole of 13kV main transmission line is also in danger, which, if compromised, could lead to a major disaster affecting the region’s power of supply. 

The Water and Power Department of Gilgit-Baltistan is making every effort to secure the endangered power pole to prevent widespread power outage. Local authorities have been working tirelessly to ensure the safety of the residents.

The local government has appealed for aid from federal agencies and humanitarian organizations to support the affected families and restore essential services. Emergency teams have been deployed to the affected areas, and evacuation measures are being implemented to prevent any further damage to the citizens.

Efforts are underway to provide temporary shelter, food, and medical care to those displaced by the floodwaters.This event calls for a coordinated effort to strengthen resilience and adaptive capacities in vulnerable areas like Gilgit-Baltistan, as it serves as an important reminder of the frequency and severity of extreme weather events that are growing more prevalent.

Earlier, in the month of May, rain and snowfall spell brought life in Gilgit-Baltistan to a standstill, leaving thousands of people stranded on the Karakoram Highway (KKH) after it was blocked at various points due to landslides triggered by the deluge.

According to rescue officials, intermittent rain continued across GB and adjoining areas on Tues­day, with KKH blocked at two loc­a­tions in Basari and Lotter in Koh­istan due to landslides. The Gilgit-Nagar section of the Karakoram Highway was also blocked along with blockades in Gandlo Nullah and Tatapani (Chilas). The Baltis­tan Road was also blocked at two points in Roundu, Skardu, due to mudslides.

The Chilas section, however, was opened to traffic by the time this report went to press.

Some parts of the region, including areas in the Gilgit city, also faced communication outages due to untimely snowfall received in the upper areas of Astore, Skardu, Hunza, Nagar, Ghanche, Khar­mang, Shigar, and Ghizer. Like­wise, the flight link of the GB region remained suspended due to bad weather conditions. Accor­ding to the Civil Aviation Autho­rity, the first regular international flight from Skardu to Dubai scheduled to start was cancelled due to weather.