The Pakistan Army has launched operations to rescue people trapped by landslides triggered by heavy rains in Gilgit-Baltistan.

After working the entire night, the army’s engineering teams restored the Skardu-Deosai road and other key points using heavy machinery.

The routes from Skardu to Sadpara Mountaineering School and from Deosai to Sadpara village have been completely cleared.

Army teams are still present in the area to deal with any possible emergency. Local people and tourists highly appreciated the timely action, professionalism and spirit of humanitarian service of the Pakistan Army.

The Pakistan Army also conducted a relief operation to rescue tourists stranded on the Sadpara Road in Skardu.

Army teams provided food packets to stranded tourists through helicopters. About 400 tourists were stranded due to the road blockade.

Road closure hampers rescue work

The closure of roads has hampered efforts to rescue people trapped in hilly areas.

Meanwhile, torrential rains and cloudbursts in Gilgit-Baltistan on Tuesday caused landslides and flooding.

The rain spell, which began last night, has wreaked havoc and caused widespread destruction in the region.

A landslide at Babusar Top buried a tourist vehicle under debris, killing three people and leaving several missing.

Three people, including a woman, were swept away by floodwaters in Chilas’ Thak Nullah. The strong rain has closed the Karakoram Highway for vehicular traffic.

Roads in the Deosai and Skardu areas have also been closed, while farms and gardens have been destroyed, leaving hundreds of tourists stranded.

Several vehicles were also trapped at several places on the Skardu-Deosai road due to heavy rains and landslides.

Tourists shifted to safer places

Landslides also disrupted traffic on the Chilas-Gilgit section of the Karakoram Highway, leaving thousands of tourists trapped. Similarly, the Kaghan road was also closed due to a landslide.

The NDMA said that the road to Babusar Top was closed at 15 places after severe landslides and flash flooding due to a cloudburst.

Tourists stranded at these places have been shifted to safer places in Chilas, it added.

Heavy rain and flash floods from the Bargi Nullah in Skardu and its surrounding areas caused severe damage to homes, crops, and gardens.

Landslide claims three lives

Three brothers died after their house was buried under the rubble due to a landslide in the Shinko area of Madyan tehsil of Swat. Their mother was seriously injured in the incident.

Area residents and the police launched a rescue operation and pulled out the bodies from the rubble.

An 11-year-old boy lost his life after being swept away in a river in the Sur Dherai area of Malam Jabba. A one-year-old boy also fell from his mother’s lap while she was trying to save his son. The search for the young boy is ongoing.

Heavy rains in Khanpur tehsil of Haripur caused severe flooding in the rivers and canals.

The bridge connecting Khanpur with the villages of upper Khanpur was washed away in the flood. The road link to dozens of villages was cut off from Khanpur.

Flooding in Azad Kashmir

Heavy rains in the Neelum Valley of Azad Kashmir caused widespread flooding in the Janwai nullah.

Three houses, a power plant, and six shops were destroyed by the flash flood.

A bridge over the Janwai nullah was also submerged in the floodwaters. The District Disaster Management Authority directed people living along the nullah to move to safer places.

Road links disrupted in Punjab

Landslides have severed land connectivity in Jhelum and Chakwal, while four people died while bathing in the Jhelum River despite a ban.

The road closure in the Phadial area of Dina completely cut off connectivity between the two districts.

The Punjab Governor visited the affected areas and expressed grief over the losses.

A ban has been imposed on bathing in the canals and rivers after the water level started rising in the areas around Kahroor Pakka and the Sutlej River.

The area deputy commissioner visited various parts of the area and directed emergency measures.

Heavy rains lash twin cities

Heavy rains in Islamabad and Rawalpindi caused drains to overflow.

The Syedpur area recorded 145mm of rain, causing the flow of drains to increase to dangerous levels and wash away vehicles parked on the banks.

The water level at Katarian Bridge reached 10 feet, and rescue personnel have been deployed in low-lying areas.

The NDMA has issued a flood alert for the entire country till July 25. It warned of a risk of flooding, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kabul River, Swat, Panjkora, Kalpani nullah and Bara nullah.

The concerned agencies have been directed to take precautionary measures.