Several vehicles were recovered from wreckage in flood-affected Gilgit-Baltistan, the government’s spokesperson said on Saturday, adding that rescue teams have so far been unable to locate the people who went missing in the floods.
Floods swept across GB last week, causing landslides, leaving many stranded, and damaging more than 500 houses, roads and other infrastructure. So far, 10 people, mostly tourists, have lost their lives, with between 10 and 15 tourists still missing.
GB government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq said today that a search operation on Babusar Highway is under way during which many vehicles that were swept away by the floods have been recovered.
“The vehicles were found but we found no clue as to the missing persons,” he said in a statement.
Faraq continued that rehabilitation work has been accelerated in the flood-affected areas.
He said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would be visiting GB in two or three days. “Hopefully, the prime minister’s visit will provide relief to the injured victims.”
PM Shehbaz yesterday expressed his aim to visit GB in solidarity with the affected people. He reaffirmed the federal government’s full support for relief and recovery efforts in the flood-hit areas in a high-level meeting that focused on immediate relief efforts, future disaster preparedness and federal assistance to the affected regions.
“Water and electricity have been restored in many areas of the region,” the spokesperson said, adding that communication systems on Babusar Highway and other places have also been restored.
The devastating impacts of climate change have become more visible in GB as unprecedented heatwaves, erratic weather patterns and glacial melting have triggered cloudbursts and intense floods across the region.
Yesterday, a glacier burst in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Bagrot Valley caused the death of one person when a father and son fell into a ravine and were buried under the debris of the glacier.
More cloudburst-induced floods hit the Ghizer and Hunza districts on Thursday.
Last week, at least four tourists were killed, two others injured and 15 went missing after floods triggered by heavy rain swept through GB’s Babusar area in Diamer district.
