GILGIT: A miner was killed and another is missing following a landslide that buried the duo while they were exploring for gemstones in the remote Deral area of the Diamer district on Sunday, authorities said.

The body of Shafiqur Rehman, a resident of Manikal Shahi, was recovered around 4pm and moved to his native village, Diamer Deputy Commissioner Awais Ahmed Abbasi confirmed. Rescue teams have been mobilised to search for the second miner, identified as Inamur Rehman of Deral.

The landslide hit the miners while they were working at a site in the Chida area of the Deral Valley in Gilgit-Baltistan. The district administration said the area is remote and lacks communication infrastructure. Local residents said heavy rocks and mud have made it difficult to locate the missing miner.

In a statement, Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Amjad Hussain directed the commissioners to personally monitor the ongoing relief activities and expedite the operation using all available resources. “No delay will be tolerated,” he said.

CM Hussain ordered the local administration to provide all possible support and manpower to the agencies engaged in the rescue, specifically Rescue 1122, the Gilgit-Baltistan Disaster Management Authority (GBDMA) and police. He expressed his determination that relevant agencies will make full efforts through mutual communication to safely rescue the missing miner as soon as possible.

In a separate incident on Sunday, one student died and another was rescued after they drowned while swimming in Rama Lake in the Astore district, police said. Local tourists and residents managed to save one of the students, while the other died at the scene. Police said the students were locals, with one from Chungra and the other from Gorikot.

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2026