Five members of a family trapped because of a flood four days ago in Ghizer district of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) have been rescued and taken to a safe place on the other side of the river by boat, Rescue 1122 Ghizer said on Monday.
Pakistan has been grappling with severe flooding caused by cloudbursts, glacial lake outburst floods (Glofs) and intense monsoon rains since June. These extreme weather events have resulted in several deaths and injuries across the country, with the Gilgit-Baltistan region among the hardest hit.
According to Rescue 1122 Ghizer’s media coordinator, Shakraiz, a lightning strike washed away the road connecting the flood-hit area on the evening of July 31, causing five members of a family to be stranded on the other side of the river in Gopus Khatam village.
“Today, the team rescued all the members and moved them to a safe place by boat,” Shakraiz told Dawn.com.
“Food was also delivered to other affected families during the operation. Sixty-two houses, water supply and electricity systems, along with health and education centres, were severely affected by the flood in the Ishkoman and Gopus valleys of Ghizer.”
According to local political leader Zafar Muhammad Shadamkhel, lightning struck at eleven places simultaneously, causing severe damage to houses, buildings, schools, roads and power plants. He added that 600 people have been deprived of drinking water.
On Friday, cloudburst-induced floods in Ghizer and Hunza districts caused significant damage to the irrigation channel in Ghalapan village in Gojal, upper Hunza, which provides water for over 50,000 forest trees, according to residents.
On the same day, a glacier burst in GB’s Bagrot Valley had resulted in the death of one person, while his father was injured, according to the regional government’s spokesperson.