CHITRAL: At least 20 houses have been swept away in high flood in the Yarkhoon River due to rapid melting of Chiantar and other glaciers in Broghil valley.

The high flood has devastated a number of villages in Yarkhoon valley including Birzoz, Mahting, Miragram No 2, Emit and Bang.

Syed Nazeer, a resident of Yarkhoon valley, told Dawn on telephone that the river has caused a widespread loss to the crops of maize, fodder and vegetables and orchards of apple on large scale while hundreds of acres of land had eroded into the river.

He said the flood had completely swept away the house of a resident of Birzoz village who had completed its construction just two weeks ago and was yet to shift there.

He said the bumper crop of apple was almost ready for harvest, which was a major source of income for the majority of the residents of Yarkhoon.

The high flood has also washed away a number of suspension bridges disrupting the connection between different villages.

Published in Dawn, August 15th, 2025