The Gilgit-Chitral road, which was submerged in the flood in the Ghizer district of Gilgit-Baltistan, has not been restored even after five days, officials confirmed on Tuesday.

Pakistan has been grappling with severe flooding caused by cloudbursts, glacial lake outburst floods (Glofs) and intense monsoon rains since June. These extreme weather events have resulted in several deaths and injuries across the country, with the GB region among the hardest hit.

“Five days ago, heavy stones and debris accumulated in the river due to the flood at Gopis Khatam, which diverted the river towards the Gilgit-Chitral road, from which the road is now submerged for 2,000 feet,” said Ghufranullah Baig, the deputy director of Disaster Management Authority in GB’s Ghizer district.

“Due to this situation, inter-provincial land connectivity between GB and Chitral regions has been cut off,” he added.

He said that due to the difficulty of accessing the hard rock and debris on the road, the road could not be restored immediately. “Heavy machinery is being used to restore the road, but the restoration will take a few more days,” the official continued.

“Water has risen hundreds of feet due to the flood debris. Efforts are being made to restore another connection through the road, but there is difficulty in delivering heavy machinery.”

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday announced Rs4 billion for mapping damage to infrastructure in GB and reconstruction efforts following recent floods in the region.

The prime minister was on a one-day visit to GB to review monsoon damages and distribute relief funds to flood-affected people.

The situation worsened when deadly floods swept across the Babusar area on July 21, causing landslides and damaging infrastructure. So far, 10 people, mostly tourists, have lost their lives, with between 10 and 15 tourists still missing.

On Friday, a glacier burst in GB’s Bagrot Valley caused the death of one person, while his father was injured, according to the regional government’s spokesperson.

Earlier on Thursday, cloudburst-induced floods in Ghizer and Hunza districts caused significant damage to the irrigation channel in Ghalapan village in upper Hunza’s Gojal, which provides water for over 50,000 forest trees, according to residents.