GILGIT: Three persons, including a girl, died in flash floods caused by heavy rainfall in Diamer district on Thursday.

Rescue officials said landslides blocked the Kara­koram Highway, the Babusar road and many link roads in various areas of the district. They said floodwater damaged many houses, swept away standing crops and trees in Khinar and Bune­rdas villages of Diamer.

Deputy Commissioner Saad Bin Asad confirmed that three people, including a girl, were killed in the floods in Diamer.

He said teams of Rescue 1122 and tourist police personnel were taking part in the relief and rescue activities.

He said tents and food items had been dispatched to the affected people and an emergency room had also been established in the district.

Meanwhile, melting glaciers caused flooding in rivers and nullahs in Ghizer, blocking the Ghizer-Chitral Road near Barsat area of Phander valley.

The swelling rivers and nullahs also eroded many link roads in Yasin and Ishkoman areas, damaging crops.

A swelling nullah damaged a suspension bridge in Bagrot area of Gilgit.

Roads were also blocked in Skardu and Ghanche, stranding people, including tourists, in various areas.

Separately, Gilgit-Baltis­tan Disaster Management Authority (GBDMA) on Thursday advised all the departments concerned, and the general public to remain alert and adopt precautionary measures to avoid any disaster as the Met department had issued Glof alerts in the vulnerable areas of GB due to rising temperatures and rains, according to a notification.

It said current weather system was likely to prevail in the region for next one to two weeks.

Meanwhile, Chief Minis­ter Khalid Khurshid has directed the GBDMA, commissioners, deputy commissioners and the departments concerned to start rehabilitation work in the areas affected by rains and floods, according to a press release.

The release said the process of providing funds and delivering necessary equipment for rehabilitation of infrastructure in the rain and flood-hit districts of Astore, Diamer, Ghizer and Hunza had started.

The GB government also advised tourists to avoid travel to the region during the current week in view of the bad weather conditions.

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2021