At least seven people died and six were injured early on Monday when a landslide hit individuals working at a water channel in Gilgit-Baltistan’s (GB) Danyor city, rescue officials said.
The devastating impacts of climate change and melting glaciers have become more visible in GB, which has been facing heavy rains since late June.
The situation worsened when deadly floods swept across the Babusar area on July 21, causing landslides and damaging infrastructure. So far, 10 deaths have been confirmed across the region, with a dozen tourists missing.
Thirteen workers, mainly young people, were attempting to restore the water supply in the main water channel from Danyor nullah to Danyor town, which had been damaged due to the recent floods, when the landslide hit at 2am today.
“Thirteen workers restoring the water supply were buried under the rubble,” Gilgit’s Rescue 1122 said in a statement.
Stating the casualties, it said the injured were taken to a hospital. District Emergency Officer (operations) Abdul Basit was present at the site to supervise the restoration, Rescue 1122 added.
However, a statement by the GB government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq stated that the total number of workers was 15, out of whom seven were confirmed dead.
This is a developing story that is being updated as the situation evolves. Initial reports in the media can sometimes be inaccurate. We will strive to ensure timeliness and accuracy by relying on credible sources, such as concerned, qualified authorities and our staff reporters.