GILGIT: Cloudburst-triggered flash floods have damaged homes, farmland and orchards across parts of Ghizer and Hunza, while landslides blocked sections of the Karakoram Highway and disrupted electricity supplies.
Floodwaters swept through several areas of Ghizer, with Naubahar village among the worst affected. Crops, fruit trees and agricultural land were destroyed, while the Gushgush Jamaat Khana was also damaged.
The road between Immit and Barjangle was blocked and electricity transmission lines were damaged, leaving some communities temporarily cut off.
In Hunza, landslides completely closed the Karakoram Highway between Sost and Khunjerab Top, prompting authorities to advise tourists against unnecessary travel. A separate stretch between Murtazaabad and Hassanabad was later reopened after debris was cleared.
The severe weather also brought the season’s first snowfall to Babusar Top, although traffic continued on Babusar Road.
Gilgit-Baltistan has experienced around 120 floods caused by cloudbursts and melting glaciers between June and August this year, according to the regional disaster management authority. The events damaged dozens of homes as well as roads, irrigation channels, orchards and power infrastructure.
The latest Flood Forecasting Division outlook expects monsoon activity to subside, although further rain and thunderstorms remain possible in parts of Gilgit-Baltistan over the next 48 hours.