16 perish as rain rage, flash floods wreak havoc in Gilgit-Baltistan, KP

Emergency imposed in Chilas: Pakistan Army’s rescue operation is in full swing: Man, daughter swept away by rainwater in Islamabad's DHA Phase V: Police put on high alert in federal capital after heavy rains

Published: 09:30 AM, 22 Jul, 2025
Topics, Environment
16 perish as rain rage, flash floods wreak havoc in Gilgit-Baltistan, KP
Caption: People remove wreckage of a van from a drainage after heavy monsoon rains in Islamabad.–AFP

Flash floods and landsliding triggered by heavy rains and cloud burst wreaked havoc in Gilgit Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, claiming 16 lives including many tourists and destroying road infrastructure, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Tuesday.

Four tourists died and 15 went missing after floods triggered by heavy rain swept through Gilgit-Baltistan’s Babusar Top area in Diamer district on Monday.

Emergency imposed in Chilas

In view of the devastating flood situation, the Diamir deputy commissioners has imposed emergency in Chilas covering Babusar Road.

Issuing a notification, the DC said the flood has destroyed many roads and a large number of tourists were missing.

Keeping in the view the present horrific situation emergency control room has been set up and all movement from Zero Point to Babusar Top has been suspended.

Army rescue operation in full swing

Due to the recent flooding in Babusar and at Karakoram Highway, Pakistan Army’s rescue operation for stranded tourists and travellers was in full swing on Tuesday..

Tourists and travellers have been safely evacuated to secure locations through Army helicopters. So far, 15 helicopter sorties have been conducted to transport people to safety.

Pakistan Army and Gilgit-Baltistan Scouts teams were also delivering food and essential supplies to the affected individuals. Immediate medical aid was also being provided to the injured.

Road clearance efforts were ongoing, with machinery and personnel continuously working to restore routes. Obstructions on Babusar and Karakoram Highway were being removed.

Search and rescue teams have been dispatched to locate missing persons.

Pakistan Army has also conducted a rescue operation on Skardu-Deosai Road hit by landslides at various locations.

After tireless efforts throughout the night, Pakistan Army’s engineering teams, using heavy machinery, have completely cleared the road from Skardu to Sadpara Mountaineering School and from Deosai to Sadpara village.

All blocked routes have been reopened and the stranded individuals and vehicles have been safely evacuated.

Army troops remained deployed in the area to respond promptly to any potential emergency situation.

Local residents and tourists have praised the Pakistan Army for their timely action and professional capabilities.

GB government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq said the flood 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. Communication and electricity infrastructure have been disrupted in the area. Faraq said hundreds of stranded tourists have been rescued, while many have been given shelter by local residents.

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.

--4 bodies, 7 injured of Lodhran family recovered--

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.

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.

--15 missing in Babusar Top--

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. G-B 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.

--Locals shelter 100 tourists--

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.

--Babusar Highway blocked--

The Babusar Highway remains blocked, with communication and electricity systems down in the area.

--Rain kills six in Swat--

In Swat, torrential rain wreaked havoc. In 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.

--Lightning kills two females in Buner--

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.

--Flash flood kills two brothers in Bajaur--

Two members of the same family died in the flash floods in Bajaur due to today's 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 has been recovered, while the search for Jawad Khan is still ongoing.

--Student drowns in Arifwala--

In Arifwala, a young madrassa student was swept away by the merciless waters of the Sutlej River. Despite rescue operations, his body has yet to be found.

--Rains kill one in Sindh--

NDMA reports confirmed that a man was killed by heavy rains in Sindh.

--Stormy rains in Skardu--

Skardu also saw a similar fate as stormy rains caused flooding in streams, damaging several connecting roads, homes, and agricultural lands.

--Karakoram Highway closed--

Meanwhile, traffic has been completely halted on the Karakoram Highway and the Naran-Babusar road due to hazardous conditions. According to the details, The Karakoram Highway was closed at various places due to landslides caused by cloudbursts and floods in the Diamer district of Gilgit-Baltistan.

--Landsliding in Kahuta--

In Kahuta, a landslide on the Tanda Pani Kas area of the Azad Pattan Road completely blocked traffic. Rescue 1122 teams and concerned departments have begun clearing operations. Authorities have advised travellers from Rawalpindi to use the Kotli-Kahuta Road, which is only accessible to small vehicles.

--Rain in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore today--

Rainfall also lashed Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore. In Islamabad, intermittent rain continued from the previous day, causing a noticeable dip in temperature. The Meteorological Department forecast continued rain throughout the day. Karachi is also expected to receive showers this evening, while Lahore saw heavy cloud cover and humidity in the morning, with rain predicted within 24 hours.

--Heavy showers drench Shakargarh, Narowal--

Heavy showers drenched Narowal and Shakargarh, turning roads and streets into rivers. In Shakargarh, several WAPDA feeders tripped as soon as the rain started, plunging parts of the city into darkness.

--NDMA report--

According to a report from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), in just the past 24 hours, rain and floods have claimed five lives and injured ten others. Of those who died, four were from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and one from Sindh. Between June 26 and July 21, rain-related incidents across the country resulted in 221 deaths, 592 injuries, the destruction of 804 houses, and damage to 10 kilometres of roads and several bridges. Over 200 livestock were also lost during these 25 days.

https://x.com/Rashida_Sial/status/1947278966340890716

Man, daughter swept away in Islamabad

Rainwater swept away a man and his daughter sitting in a car in DHA Phase V in Islamabad on Tuesday.

The man, identified as Qazi Ishaq, and his daughter just sat in their car when the rainwater took them away.

The rescue teams have launched an operation to recover them.

Islamabad police on high alert        

In view of the heavy rains lashing the federal capital, the police have been put on high alert in Islamabad.

SSP Operations Muhammad Shoaib Khan visited Saidpur village and other areas to asses the damage caused by the heavy rains.

On the directive of the DIG Islamabad, all officers have been ordered to remain active in the field. SHOs must remain in their areas and be ready to respond to any untoward situation, the directive said. 

Reporters: Shahid Jan, Samiullah, Shahzad Ahmad,  Muhammad Asif, Syed Noman Shah, Umar Farooq, Khawaja Subhan, Rana Asif, Mian Muhammad Ashfaq, Yasir Arafat, Ishtiaq Rabbani, Rozina Ali, Hashir Warriach, Tayyab Saif, Irshad Qureshi, Ahmad Mansoor, Rimsha Ismail, Rana Faran Yameen, and Kaleem Akhtar

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