Key points
- Extreme weather events have ravaged disaster-prone mountainous region
- At least 17 people have been killed in rain-related incidents since June
- Glacial Lake Outburst Flood from Shishper Glacier continues
ISLAMABAD: At least seven volunteers were killed and three others were injured while restoring a water channel damaged by recent floods in the Danyore area of Gilgit city – the administrative capital of Pakistan’s northern Gilgit Baltistan region – on Sunday.
Extreme weather events such as flash floods, Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) and landslides have ravaged the disaster-prone mountainous region, killing at least 17 people so far.
According to Rescue 1122, the volunteers were working to restore the water channel when a landslide struck.
گلگت دنیور منوگاہ نالے میں پانی کی سپلائی بحال کرنے والے 13 رضاکار ملبے تلے دب گئے۔7 رضا کار جاں بحق6 زخمی#Gilgit #danyour pic.twitter.com/4Oqbmw0dlm
— Mumtaz Abbas Shigri (@iamMumtazShigri) August 11, 2025
Police said four people were pulled out from under the debris, and the rescue operation was completed.
Funeral held
Funeral prayers for the deceased were held in Danyore polo ground.
Community members paid rich tributes to the voluntary services of the deceased, identified as Pyar Ali, Naik Alam, Adam Ali, Azharuddin, Afaq, Azhar and Dildar Hussain.
Recurring Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) from the Shisper Glacier in Hunza caused significant damage to a section of the Karakoram Highway, cutting off the vital road link between Pakistan and China.
Strong floodwaters swept away standing crops and trees, besides threatening homes along the Hassanabad stream.
Connectivity severed
Flooding in Supulter Nullah, located between Nagar Khas and Hopper, has severed Hopper Nagar’s road connection with the surrounding areas.
The Gilgit-Baltistan Disaster Management Authority (GBDMA) confirmed that the newly constructed retaining wall and a portion of the Karakoram highway sustained damage.
The GBDMA also reported that a substantial amount of cultivable land, along with standing crops and trees, was destroyed in the flood.
The electricity supply to the Hassanabad area was also disrupted. Officials are concerned that ongoing land erosion from the swollen stream continues to put dozens of homes at risk from similar future events.
Battered
The GBDMA has requested the National Highway Authority (NHA) to conduct an urgent assessment of the damaged highway section and other vulnerable areas.
Gilgit Baltistan, which hosts several tourist hotspots, was also battered by flash floods and landslides, with Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan, last month, saying that at least 10 people were killed and four others were injured in the region in floods triggered by intense monsoon rains.
Expanding on the extent of damage, the chief minister said that 300 houses were destroyed, whereas 200 were partially damaged. Also, 30-40 per cent of water channels and 15 to 20 kilometres of roads were damaged.
