All 250 tourists stranded on Babusar Road have been rescued and relocated to Chilas, while a search operation is ongoing to locate those still missing, Gilgit-Baltistan government spokesperson Faizullah Firaq told Geo News on Wednesday.
He confirmed that both the Silk Road and Babusar Road remain closed to traffic due to the recent flooding. “The rescue operation on Babusar Road has been completed, while a search operation is underway to trace the missing individuals,” he said.
Firaq added that those stranded on Deosai have also been evacuated to safer locations.
Flash floods triggered by massive rains wreaked havoc in Diamer district of GB on Monday, leaving at least five people dead including four tourists and another 15 missing.
Scores of tourists also got stuck and several others were injured after a cloudburst struck Babusar Top, a famous tourist destination located in Diamer district.
Tourists have been strongly advised to avoid travel to GB until conditions return to normal. Naran and Kaghan are currently completely closed, while the Silk Route remains open only for small vehicles, he added.
Free accommodation for affected travellers has been arranged by local hotel owners and the government. However, the Karakoram Highway has once again been closed at two locations, leaving thousands of travellers stranded at various points, the spokesperson said.
Work is under way to restore the Silk Road up to Bisham, the GB government said adding that Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan Haji Gulbar Khan is scheduled to visit the flood-affected Babusar Road area today to assess the situation on the ground.
At least 13 people were killed as rains, thunderstorms and flash floods battered parts of the country, especially Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on Tuesday, pushing the country’s death toll from devastating monsoon rains to 234.
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued an advisory as monsoon rains are forecast to continue across most parts of the country until July 25, warning of heightened risks of flooding, landslides, and glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) in northern regions.
Moisture from the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, coupled with the influence of low-pressure systems developing in surrounding regions, is expected to bring moderate to heavy rainfall across the country in the coming days.
According to the NDMA, there is a significant danger of landslides and GLOFs in mountainous areas, particularly in gb and upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The authority also warned of a possible rise in water levels in the Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, and Kabul rivers.
On the Chenab River, low to moderate flooding is expected at Marala, Khanki, and Qadirabad, while increased water flow is anticipated in the upper catchment of Mangla on the Jhelum River and at Nowshera on the Kabul River. Water levels are also likely to rise at Tarbela, Kalabagh, Chashma, Taunsa, and Guddu barrages.
In KP, there is a risk of flooding in the Swat and Panjkora rivers and their adjoining streams. In GB, a flood-like situation may emerge in the Hunza and Shigar rivers, while flash floods are also expected in the streams of Khunjerab, Shimshal, and Saltoro.
Similarly, in Balochistan, streams in Musakhel, Sherani, Zhob, and Sibi districts are at risk of flooding due to anticipated heavy rainfall.
The NDMA further warned that landslides remain a key concern in northern areas due to persistent rain. The Karakoram Highway and Babusar Top are currently closed to traffic following multiple landslides.
Tourists have been strongly advised to avoid travelling to mountainous regions until 25 July. The public has also been urged to refrain from crossing streams, bridges, and waterlogged roads to ensure safety.
Meanwhile, local administrations have been instructed to keep essential machinery and dewatering pumps ready for rapid drainage and emergency response operations.
Moderate to heavy rainfall is expected in upper and northeastern Punjab including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Murree, Galliyat, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mianwali, Hafizabad, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Narowal, Okara, Lahore, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Multan, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Rahim Yar Khan, Dera Ghazi Khan and surrounding areas from July 21 to 24, with occasional gaps.
In Balochistan, isolated rainfall is forecast in Ziarat, Kalat, Musakhel, Khuzdar, Awaran, Barkhan, Sibi, Jaffarabad, Dera Bugti and nearby districts from July 20 to 24.
Low to moderate rainfall is also expected in Sindh, covering Sukkur, Larkana, Jacobabad, Khairpur, Karachi, Hyderabad, Tharparkar, Thatta, Badin, Mirpur Khas and adjacent regions from July 19 to 24.
In KP, moderate to heavy rainfall is forecast from 19 to 24 of July in areas including Chitral, Dir, Haripur, Karak, Kohat, Kohistan, Khyber, Kurram, Mansehra, Mohmand, Nowshera, Malakand, Charsadda, Abbottabad, Bannu, Buner, Hazara, Peshawar, Swabi, Swat, and Waziristan.
In GB and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, isolated rainfall is expected in Astore, Skardu, Hunza, Shigar, Bagh, Neelum Valley, Muzaffarabad, and surrounding areas from July 19 to 24.
