Cloudburst causes widespread damage in Diamer

ISLAMABAD: A cloudburst in Gilgit-Baltistan's Thor Valley in Diamer district triggered flash floods that damaged homes, orchards, crops, bridges and vehicles, while national and provincial authorities issued fresh warnings over the risk of glacial lake outburst floods and related hazards in northern regions.

According to police, torrential rain on Friday sent floodwaters through large parts of Thor Valley, washing away houses, orchards, cultivated land, link bridges and vehicles. The flooding also entered Wapda Colony, where buildings, roads and other infrastructure suffered extensive damage. Police said the main road connecting Thor Valley was blocked at several points, cutting off a large population from the rest of the district and complicating rescue and relief work.

Residents in the affected area appealed to the government for immediate assistance, compensation and a full assessment of losses. One resident described the scale of personal damage suffered in the flooding. "I have suffered huge losses and even my gold has been washed away," they said.

Assistant Director Disaster Management Diamer Imtiaz Ahmed said efforts were under way to reopen roads and deliver relief supplies to the affected localities. He said relief operations and road restoration had already started, but blocked routes were creating serious difficulties for rescue personnel and aid workers. The local administration said it was monitoring the situation continuously and trying to restore access to isolated communities as quickly as possible.

NDMA and PMD issue fresh warnings

The disaster coincided with a fresh alert issued by the National Disaster Management Authority through its National Emergencies Operation Centre, warning of a heightened risk of glacial lake outburst floods and flash floods from June 27 to July 3 in Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

According to the advisory, prolonged high temperatures along with forecast rainfall are expected to speed up glacier melting and increase water flows in rivers and mountain streams. Authorities warned that fast glacier melt could sharply raise river levels, while mounting pressure on glacial lakes could lead to glacial lake outburst floods, flash floods, landslides and mudslides.

The alert named Hunza, Nagar, Ghizer, Skardu, Shigar, Ghanche, Kharmang, Astore, Diamer, Upper and Lower Chitral, Swat and adjoining mountainous areas as particularly vulnerable. The NDMA also warned that flash floods and landslides could damage roads, bridges, irrigation systems and other critical infrastructure, while low-lying settlements could face temporary flooding and roads could be closed for short periods.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department also said high temperatures were likely to continue until the first week of July, accelerating snow and glacier melt in northern Pakistan.

The Met Office said river flows were expected to remain unusually high, existing glacial lakes could expand quickly and new glacial lakes might form because of additional meltwater. It further cautioned that enlarging glacial lakes could destabilise natural ice or moraine dams and trigger Glof incidents, while heavy mudflows, debris flows and landslides could also occur in steep mountain terrain.

Precautionary measures and district directives

The PMD advised residents, tourists and travellers to stay away from riverbanks, streams, glacial lakes and mountain nullahs, avoid camping or trekking near vulnerable water channels and keep clear of unstable slopes where melting snow could trigger landslides. The NDMA similarly urged the public to avoid unnecessary movement near rivers, streams and glacial lakes, check official weather advisories before travelling to mountainous areas and report any sudden rise in water levels, unusual changes in water colour or abnormal sounds from glaciers to the relevant authorities.

The NDMA directed relevant departments to maintain continuous monitoring of glaciers, glacial lakes, rivers and weather conditions. Following the PMD advisory, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Disaster Management Authority instructed deputy commissioners in Upper and Lower Chitral, Upper Dir, Swat, Upper and Lower Kohistan and Mansehra to proactively monitor vulnerable sites.

District administrations were directed to hold evacuation drills, prepare emergency shelters, run public awareness campaigns and warn residents in low-lying areas about potential risks. The PDMA also instructed local authorities to coordinate with the National Highways Authority, Frontier Works Organisation and the Communication and Works Department to ensure roads and bridges could be restored promptly if flood damage occurs. Authorities have been asked to take all necessary precautionary steps to reduce possible losses to life, livestock, crops and infrastructure as rising temperatures continue to intensify glacier melt in the northern mountains.