Islamabad [Pakistan], July 25 (ANI): The death toll from flash floods in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan’s (PoGB) Diamer district rose to six on Thursday, as rescue teams continued to search for missing tourists following days of torrential rains, Dawn reported.
According to PoGB government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq, another body was recovered in the Babusar Valley, bringing the total fatalities to six. “The search operation to locate the remaining tourists at Babusar is underway,” he said.
The cloudburst-induced flash floods have highlighted the intensifying impact of climate change in the mountainous region. Four people were initially reported dead, with 15 others missing on Monday. The death toll had climbed to five by Tuesday, before the latest fatality was confirmed.
Rescue 1122 reported flooding in several parts of the Ghanche district. In Kandos village, flash floods damaged around a dozen houses, a dispensary, mosques, agricultural land, and crops. In Sikarkoi, floods affected multiple homes and infrastructure in Dass Mohallah and adjacent areas of PoGB.
In a separate incident, the body of retired Colonel Ishaq Qazi, aged between 62 and 64, was recovered near the Soan River bridge in Rawalpindi. He had gone missing last week after his car was swept away during flash floods. His 25-year-old daughter remains missing, according to rescue officials.
District Emergency Officer (DEO) Sibghatullah said, “Rescue operations have entered the third day. Some parts of the vehicle, including the bonnet and a door, were recovered under the Soan River bridge.”
According to a statement issued by Islamabad’s Sihala police station on Tuesday, the two were traveling in a grey Honda and were residents of Defence Housing Authority, Phase 5. “Due to heavy rainwater accumulation on a nearby road, the vehicle stalled. While Colonel Ishaq attempted to restart the car, the water current intensified, sweeping both individuals away,” the statement said.
Pakistan experiences monsoon rains annually from June to September, which often lead to fatal floods, landslides, and displacement—particularly in vulnerable and densely populated areas.
Last week, more than 60 people died in Punjab within a 24-hour period as relentless rainfall triggered widespread devastation. Authorities imposed Section 144 and declared emergencies across multiple districts in response.
In Rawalpindi, residents of a housing society blocked the Grand Trunk Road in protest after a 17-year-old boy drowned in a nearby nullah. Rescue teams were unable to retrieve his body after hours of effort. Eyewitnesses reported that the boy was swept away by strong currents while crossing a narrow passage. Two of his relatives tried to save him but were overpowered by the torrent. Protesters accused Rescue 1122 of “inaction and incapacity.”
Meanwhile, in Punjab’s Attock district, Rescue 1122 successfully evacuated 40 people trapped in a canal in Shinka due to rising water levels in the Indus River. “All people were safely evacuated in a rescue operation that lasted five hours,” said a Rescue 1122 statement. The operation was led by DEO Ali Hussain.
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