• Six of a family feared dead as landslide buries home in Muzaffarabad
• Eight killed, seven missing in Gilgit-Baltistan
MUZAFFARABAD / GILGIT: Over a dozen people were killed on Thursday as rains and flooding ripped through the country’s northern parts, including Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, while in Punjab, authorities remained on high alert as water levels in rivers and nullahs started rising.
In Muzaffarabad district, a massive landslide in Sarli Sacha village hit a home, leaving six members of a family buried, and feared dead.
A cloudburst sent a wall of water surging down Jhugiyan Nullah, destroying summer homes and livestock. In the same area, a raging flood in Machhiara Nullah obliterated a major bridge.
In Sudhnoti district, Misbah Ashfaq, 26, died after being swept away by a stream. Deputy Commissioner Mumtaz Kazmi said 34 houses in his district were partially or completely damaged.
In Bagh district, Akhtar Begum, 57, was killed when her home collapsed.
The northeastern Neelum Valley also faced major disruptions, where tourists were shifted to safety.
More than 600 tourists camping at the Ratti Gali lake base were advised to remain in place after the link road was damaged. The floods also washed away two connecting bridges over Lawat Nullah, and the swollen Jagran Nullah tore away a bridge in Kundal Shahi. A scenic riverside restaurant and at least three houses in the area were also swept away.
In the Jhelum Valley, a cloudburst over Palhot unleashed a flash flood that damaged part of the road and left dozens of vehicles stranded. In Nardajiyan village, a raging torrent swept away six shops.
With the Neelum River rising rapidly, authorities issued a flood warning and plan to relocate vulnerable riverside families.
The Muzaffarabad–Mansehra highway remains blocked at Lohar Gali due to a landslide.
Damages in GB
In Gilgit-Baltistan, flash floods killed at least eight people and with two still missing in the Ghizer district, devastating villages in the Khalti, Ishkoman and Yasin areas.
“Daen Area of Ishkoman Tehsil, Khalti of Gupis Tehsil and Thoi, Barkulti and Taus areas of Yasin Tehsil have received short but heavy rains, which devastated many villages and infrastructure,” said provincial spokesperson Faizullah Faraq.
In the Khalti valley, a house with at least seven people inside was struck by heavy debris, Additional Deputy Commissioner Mir Afzal said. Only two bodies and one injured girl were recovered.
An elderly man in Barkulti also died after being caught in the floods, Afzal said.
The floods damaged more than a dozen houses, several vehicles, schools and health units, while blocking major arteries including the Karakoram Highway and Baltistan Highway at several points.
In Diamer, flash floods triggered submerged parts of Babusar Road.
Punjab on high alert
Authorities across Punjab were on high alert on Thursday as monsoon rains battered cities and villages, causing water levels to swell in rivers and nullahs.
PDMA said Sutlej River at Ganda Singh Wala was flowing at 64,554 cusecs on Thursday evening, crossing the low-flood mark of 18 feet. The rising waters prompted a rescue in Shakargarh, where four men were stranded in the surging Nullah Bain.
The Met Office and PDMA predicted scattered to very heavy rainfall across upper Punjab from August 18-21, with Rawalpindi, Lahore, Sialkot and Narowal.
Alerts were issued for the River Jhelum at Mangla Dam, the Indus River at Chashma, and the Chenab River at Marala Barrage. Over two dozen villages, including Bhikiwind, Mahiwala and Kalanjer, are at risk of being submerged.
Imran Gabol in Lahore and Afzal Ansari in Kasur also contributed to this report
Published in Dawn, August 15th, 2025