18 perish as cloudburst, flash floods wreck parts of GB, KP

• More than 200 rescued tourists shifted to Chilas, provided shelter: GB spokesperson
• Says Karakorum Highway is blocked at several locations, isolating numerous villages and cutting off vital access routes
• NEOC issues impact-based weather and GLOF alerts amid intensifying monsoon activity
• NDMA says closely monitoring the evolving situation and remains in constant coordination with provincial authorities and emergency services
• President, PM order immediate assistance and rehab of flood-affected communities

GILGIT/ISLAMABAD/SWAT: Flash floods and landsliding triggered by heavy rains and cloudburst wreaked havoc in Gilgit Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, claiming 18 lives, leaving many tourists stranded and destroying road infrastructure.

“Five tourists died and 15 went missing after floods triggered by heavy rain and cloudburst swept through Gilgit-Baltistanís Babusar Top area in Diamer district,” GB government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq confirmed, adding that floodwater washed away eight tourist vehicles in the Thak area. He confirmed that at least 15 tourists were missing, with four bodies recovered so far.

The spokesperson said that the Babusar Highway was also blocked and communication and electricity infrastructure have been disrupted in the area. Faraq said that hundreds of stranded tourists have been rescued, while many have been given shelter by local residents.

سکردو-دیوسائی روڈ پر کلاوڈ برسٹ کے بعد لینڈ سلائیڈ سے پچاس کے قریب گاڑیاں پھنس گئیں۔
کئی گاڑیاں پانی میں ڈوب گئیں۔
پاک فوج کی امدادی کاروائیاں جاری۔۔ pic.twitter.com/4rI4ev6q4K

— Waseem Abbasi (@Wabbasi007) July 22, 2025

Of the other fatalities across the country in rain-related incidents, six people died in Swat, two each in Bajaur and Buner and one each in Sindh and Punjab city of Arifwala.

The disaster has taken a particularly heartbreaking toll on a family from Lodhran. Dr Saad Islam, owner of Shahida Islam Medical College, lost his wife and brother in the floods. His parents, two sisters, brother-in-law, brother, sister-in-law, and children were all vacationing with him.

After the devastation caused by floods in Babusar and tourists getting stranded, the people of Chilas, the nearby city, opened their doors to the affected tourists. Hotel owners announced free accommodation and meals for them.@BBhuttoZardari @BakhtawarBZ pic.twitter.com/dPrcofpnLk

— Baksher Boto (@baksher_boto321) July 21, 2025

Among the deceased are a female doctor named Mashal, her brother Dr Fahad, and her innocent son. Dr Saad miraculously survived the catastrophe. The dead body of another tourist has also been recovered by the rescue teams from the area.

Rescue operations are still underway on Babusar Road, where 15 tourist vehicles were swept away. So far, three bodies and seven injured individuals have been recovered, but over 15 tourists remain missing. Pakistan Army and GB Scouts have started a search for missing persons, while a military helicopter is also being used to find the Lodhran family members at Babusar Top.

In the aftermath, hundreds of stranded tourists were rescued and sheltered by local residents of Thak Babusar. More than 100 tourists, many of them from Lodhran, were ensured safety in local homes after the cloudburst. The GB government has announced that these tourists will be transported to safer urban areas by morning, although lack of communication systems has severed contact between the tourists and their families.

The Babusar Highway remains blocked, with communication and electricity systems down in the area. In Swat, torrential rain wreaked havoc.

سکردو: سدپارہ گاؤں کے عوام کو خراجِ تحسین_
سکردو: اہل علاقہ نے گھروں اور امام بارگاہوں کے دروازے سیاحوں کے لئے کھول

سدپارہ گاؤں کے باسیوں نے دیوسائی سے واپس آنے والے پھنسے ہوئے سیاحوں کی مثالی میزبانی کی
بلتستان کی مہمان نوازی پر سیاحوں نے شکریہ ادا کیا۔
گلگت بلتستان میں حالیہ… pic.twitter.com/VWkO4Q0Gmc

— Gilgit Baltistan Tourism. (@GBTourism_) July 22, 2025

In Swat’s Madian, a house collapsed due to rain, killing three children and seriously injuring a woman. In Tehsil Charbagh, a flash flood carried away a father and his two children. Rescue teams recovered the bodies of both children 7-year-old Afwan and 10-month-old Mohsin after a joint search operation by water rescue teams and locals.

In Buner, lightning struck a home in the Gokand area, killing two women. Severe flooding in the Pir Baba Khwar submerged the local bazaar, with floodwaters entering shops, streets, and even the Pir Baba police station, causing losses worth millions. Shops selling mobile phones, clothes, groceries, jewellery, and solar panels were badly affected.

Two members of the same family died in the flash floods in Bajaur due to heavy  rain. As per the channel report, two brothers–Gulbuddin and Jawad Khan, sons of Ziauddin, from the Ghanam Shah area of Loi Mamond tehsil of Bajaur, drowned in the river. Gulbuddin’s body was recovered, while the search for Jawad Khan is still ongoing.

In Rawalpindi, a tragic incident unfolded in DHA Phase 5 when a man and his daughter were swept away by a floodwater following hours of relentless rain that submerged large parts of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

The rescue officials said that Qazi Ishaq, a retired colonel and his daughter were attempting to drive across a rain-swollen stream when their car was caught in the powerful current and dragged away.

The incident occurred amid widespread urban flooding caused by heavy downpours across the twin cities. The eyewitnesses reported that water levels rose rapidly which flooded the roads and entered the homes in low-lying areas.

The rescue teams swiftly launched a search operation to locate the missing individuals but no official confirmation of their recovery had been made by the time of reporting.

The authorities advised the residents to avoid unnecessary travel and stay away from water channels and low-lying roads, especially during heavy rainfall.

The downpour, part of the ongoing monsoon spell, continues to impact daily life in the capital region. Emergency services remain on high alert as further rain is expected in the coming days.

Karakorum Highway blocked at several locations

The GB government said that Karakorum Highway is blocked at several locations, isolating numerous villages and cutting off vital access routes. Optical fiber communication lines have also been severely disrupted, hampering connectivity and coordination.

The Pakistan Army’s rescue operation to evacuate stranded tourists in Deosai is successfully underway. Tourists are being airlifted to safer locations, including Babusar and nearby areas, via army helicopters.

Restoration work on the Skardu Road is also in progress, supported by army pilots and engineering teams. The landslide-affected section between Skardu and the Sadpara Mountaineering School has now been cleared, and the route from Deosai to Sadpara village has been reopened. Army personnel continue efforts to remove remaining debris.

In addition to rescue operations, the Pakistan Army is providing food and essential supplies to those stranded. Around 150 ready-to-eat meal packets have been delivered to affected areas by helicopter.

Hundreds of tourists are stranded in the region, with many locals stepping in to provide shelter and support. While some stranded individuals have been successfully rescued by the authorities, dozens more have been accommodated by residents of nearby villages.

The death toll in GB since yesterday currently stands at five, according to Diamer District Commissioner Attaullah Kakar.

GB government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq said in a statement: “More than 200 rescued tourists have been shifted to Chilas and provided shelter in hotels and guest houses.”

He added that the tourists were now able to contact their families after being stranded for hours.

DC Kakar detailed that rescue operations were still underway to look for missing tourists, while four of the five deceased have been identified. According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Abdul Hameed, 20 to 30 tourists from different parts of the country might be missing.

According to DC Kakar, the Force Command Northern Areas (FCNA) of the Pakistan Army has been providing medical assistance and food to stranded tourists on Babusar via helicopters.

“One of the five bodies will be transported via helicopter later today,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Diamer administration declared a state of emergency along Thack-Babusar Road, suspending all tourist movement between Zero Point and Babusar Top.

A notification by Diamer District Magistrate Ataur Rehman, seen by Dawn.com, said all travellers “should be stopped at both ends” of the road until further notice.

“All tourists and local residents are strongly advised to evacuate to designated safe zones immediately and to avoid any travel on Babusar Road until its complete rehabilitation,” the notification read.

An emergency control room was also established that will operate “round the clock”. It can be contacted at 05812-920181 and 05812-930037. The district magistrate also ordered six companies to dispatch at least two excavators each to the Babusar area to assist in road rehabilitation and retrieval of bodies, if any.

The GB Chief Minister instructed emergency teams to deploy all available resources for the evacuation and assistance of affected individuals. Floodwaters have destroyed roads, damaged farmlands, and severed links between multiple communities.

This disaster follows an earlier flood incident in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on 27th June, where more than 75 individuals, including women and children, were swept away in Swat River after torrential rains led to massive surges at seven different locations.

GLOF alerts amid intensifying monsoon activity

Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Authority’s (NDMA’s) National Emergencies Operation Center (NEOC) has issued multiple impact-based weather alerts in view of intensifying monsoon conditions across the country.

موسمی انتباہ

پاکستان میں مغربی ہواؤں اور مون سون سسٹم کے داخل ہونے کے باعث آج آدھی رات کے وقت مظفرآباد، اسلام آباد، چکوال اور شمالی و وسطی پنجاب کے علاقوں میں موسلا دھار بارش کا امکان ہے۔ جسکے باعث فلیش فلڈنگ اور شہری سیلاب کا خدشہ ہے۔ pic.twitter.com/QM2pBdnw1N

— NDMA PAKISTAN (@ndmapk) July 22, 2025

The NEOC, in its alert, said that moist monsoon currents from the Arabian Sea are currently penetrating Sindh and upper parts of Pakistan and are likely to strengthen over upper and central regions till July 25, 2025. In addition, a fresh westerly wave has already entered the upper parts of the country on July 21, further enhancing the risk of heavy rainfall, flooding, and landslides in vulnerable areas.

*لینڈ سلائیڈنگ الرٹ*
گلگت بلتستان ,گلگت، سکردو، ہنزہ، استور، دیامر، گھانچے,آزاد کشمیر مظفرآباد، نیلم، حویلی، باغ، پونچھ, بالائی خیبر پختونخوا چترال، دیر، کوہستان میں شدید بارشوں کے باعث لینڈ سلائیڈنگ کا خدشہ۔ سیاح پہاڑی علاقوں کی جانب سفر سے گریز کریں۔ pic.twitter.com/LQ3mTVElrF

— NDMA PAKISTAN (@ndmapk) July 22, 2025

As a result of these meteorological developments, increased water flows are expected in all major rivers, particularly Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, and Kabul. River Chenab at Marala, Khanki, and Qadirabad may reach low to medium flood levels, while River Jhelum upstream of Mangla and River Kabul at Nowshera are likely to rise to low flood levels. Inflows in Tarbela, Kalabagh, Chashma, Taunsa, and Guddu Barrages are currently at low flood stage and may increase to medium levels.

Rivers Swat and Panjkora in KP, along with their associated nullahs, may swell due to persistent rainfall in their catchments, causing medium to high flows. In Gilgit Baltistan, River Hunza and Shigar are expected to experience increased discharge, with a high likelihood of localized flash flooding in their tributaries, including Hispar, Khunjerab, Shimshal, Braldu, Hushe, and Saltoro Rivers.

Similarly, in Balochistan, stream networks in districts Musakhel, Sherani, Zhob, and Sibi are likely to experience significant flow increases. Currently, Tarbela Dam is at 80% and Mangla Dam at 51% storage capacity, with further rise expected due to incoming flows.

Under the combined influence of heavy monsoon rains, ongoing glacier and snowmelt, the risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) has significantly increased in the northern valleys of Gilgit Baltistan and KP. Vulnerable areas include Reshun, Brep, Booni, Sardar Gol, Thalu 1 and 2, Hinarchi, Hundur, Darkut, Badswat, Ishkomen, and Arkari.

These regions may experience sudden flash flooding, loss of lives and livelihoods, damage to infrastructure including roads and bridges, and disruption of access to remote mountain communities. There is also heightened risk of landslides.

It said the NDMA is closely monitoring the evolving situation and remains in constant coordination with provincial authorities and emergency services. Travelers are strongly advised to avoid going towards mountainous and high-altitude areas during this period. Karakoram Highway and Babusar Top are completely blocked from both sides due to adverse weather and landslides.

Those already in the area are advised to regularly check road conditions through local radio or official social media channels, citizens are urged to stay updated through official flood alerts via TV, radio, and the Pak NDMA Disaster Alert mobile app. In case of road closures, do not use unverified alternative routes, as they may be extremely dangerous and unstable during monsoon spells.

President, PM direct swift relief efforts for flood victims

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have ordered immediate assistance and rehabilitation for flood-affected communities across the country, following severe rainfall and flooding.

In separate statements, both leaders instructed the relevant authorities to intensify relief operations in the affected areas. Expressing deep sorrow over the loss of life due to the rains and floods, both leaders extended condolences to the bereaved families.

The prime minister also urged the NDMA to stay in close contact with provincial governments and ensure full support is provided.

Sharif called for rapid deployment of relief measures to mitigate the suffering of affected populations. He also highlighted the need for thorough preparation in anticipation of potential further challenges in the coming days.

The prime minister additionally directed the National Highway Authority (NHA) and the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) to accelerate the restoration of highways and other vital roads that have been damaged by the floods.