• KKH blocked, Babusar Road closed due to snow
• High flood expected in Chenab

ISLAMABAD: Since the start of monsoon rains almost two weeks ago, at least 50 people have lost their lives in various rain-related incidents — including landslides — across Pakis­tan, as a fresh spell of rain in Gilgit-Baltistan caused mudslides on Kara­koram Highway, marooning thousands of travellers on the highway.

Meanwhile, after up to two inches of snowfall on Babusar Top and adjacent hills the road has been closed for traffic. “Due to the snowfall, the Babusar Road has been closed to vehicular traffic while the Karakoram Highway is closed at three points, including Minarthor, Tatta Pani and Cadet College,” APP reported.

According to police, a flood in Uchar Nallah blocked the KKH in Kohistan while landslides blocked KKH near Cadet College and Tatta Pani in Chilas, Diamer. The highway was also blocked near Nasirabad in Hunza due to mudslides. Officials, however, later claimed the road in Hunza and Chilas had been opened for traffic.

A large number of passengers — tourists included — travelling to and from GB were stranded in Chilas and Kohistan since Friday morning. Long queues of vehicles were spotted on both sides.

Passengers said they were stranded in Chilas and Kohistan since morning. As it was a remote region, they faced issues in getting food and lodging. They complained that the pace of work to clear the road was slow.

According to stranded passengers, the government did not take immediate measures to reopen the highway from Khunjerab to Kohistan. They said thousands of passengers travelling on the highway were faced with a painful situation, especially children. According to the Hunza assistant commissioner, Nasirabad has been cleared for traffic.

The GB information department issued an alert asking passengers to avoid travelling towards the region due to threats of landslides. According to the Meteorological Department, heavy rains have been predicted till July 8.

Meanwhile, heavy rains lashed Balakot and adjacent areas causing torrents in rainwater channels and River Kunhar, the local administration said, adding that spell was expected to last for another 12 hours.

Deaths due to rain

“Fifty deaths have been reported in different rain-related incidents all over Pakistan since the start of the monsoon on June 25,” a national disaster management official told AFP, adding that 87 people were injured during this period. The majority of the deaths were reported in eastern Punjab province, and were mainly due to electrocution and building collapses, official data showed.

In northwestern Khyber Pakhtun­khwa province, the bodies of eight chil­dren were recovered from a landslide in the Shangla district on Thurs­day, according to the emergency service Rescue 1122’s spokesman Bilal Ahmed Faizi. He said rescuers were still searching for other children trap­ped in the debris. According to APP, the prime minister announced Rs1 million for the heirs of the deceased children.

River floods

The Meteorological Department predicted more heavy rain nationwide in the days ahead and warned of potential flooding in the catchment areas of Punjab’s major rivers. The province’s disaster management authority said it was working to relocate people living along the waterways.

According to the Federal Flood Commission (FFC), “high to very high-level flooding” was expected in River Chenab and associated streams of Ravi and Chenab rivers on Saturday and Sunday.

According to a daily report, flash flooding was also expected in the hill torrents of Dera Ghazi Khan Division and local nullahs of northern Balochistan, including small rivers in Bannu, Kohat and Dera Ismail Khan divisions during the next two days.

Rain is expected in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Sargodha, D.G. Khan and Lahore divisions in Punjab; Peshawar, Kohat, Bannu, and D.I. Khan divisions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, besides over the upper catchments of all the major rivers of Indus River System. The Pakistan Meteorological Department on Friday forecast thundershower for Sindh, including Karachi, during the next 24 hours. The current monsoon activity is likely to subside from July 10.

Jamil Nagri in Gilgit and Zaki Abbas in Islamabad also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2023