River erosion and increased water flow caused a blockage on part of the Karakoram Highway (KKH) in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Hunza Valley on Friday, according to a government spokesperson.

GB government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq said that the flow of water in GB rivers had increased, because of which a part of the KKH had been blocked due to erosion.

“The chief minister of GB has ordered the restoration of the highway,” he said.

He added that relevant institutions were on their way to restoring the KKH in Morkhun.

Faraq also said that a search was underway for tourists who went missing after a boat capsized in Skardu on Tuesday.

“Due to the increase in the flow of water in the lakes, there is a ban on operating boats and Section 144 is in force,” he said.

Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code is a legal provision that empowers district administrations to prohibit an assembly of four or more people in an area for a limited period.

“Action is being taken against those who take tourists out on lakes by boat despite the ban,” Faraq added.

Pakistan has been grappling with severe flooding caused by cloudbursts, glacial lake outburst floods (Glofs) and intense monsoon rains since June. GB has been among the hardest hit regions by the extreme weather.

On Monday, a search operation for tourists who went missing after rain-induced floods in GB’s Babusar area concluded after 14 days, and the tourists’ funeral prayers were held in absentia.

Last month, thousands of people, including foreign tourists, were stranded at multiple locations in GB due to blocked roads, including KKH, due to landslides.