At least 10 people have lost their lives and hundreds more remain stranded as torrential rains and flash floods wreak havoc across Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Kaghan Valley, and Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B). The disaster has triggered landslides, swept away bridges, and cut off key access routes, leaving remote valleys isolated.
In Muzaffarabad, a cloudburst in a suburban area killed five members of the same family. In Neelum Valley, about 50 trapped tourists were rescued from Ratti Gali Nullah, but around 500 others remain stuck at the base camp after bridges were washed away and roads blocked.
In G-B’s Ghizer district, floods in Khalti swept away five people. Rescuers have recovered the bodies of a woman and a child, while the search continues for three missing victims. Six houses have been completely destroyed. Flash floods in Chitorkhand and Dain Nullah blocked the Ishkoman River, forcing authorities to evacuate residents from low-lying areas amid fears of a breach.
The State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) reported more fatalities, including a woman killed by falling rocks in Dana Daliyaar, UC Machhiara, and another woman swept away in Pulandri Nullah. Floodwaters also destroyed three shops and a watermill in Nar Dajian Nullah, Jhelum Valley.
In Bagh district, around 400 tourists stranded after floodwaters surrounded their vehicle were rescued. Landslides have blocked multiple key roads, including the Muzaffarabad–Khyber Pakhtunkhwa link at Lohar Gali and the Bani Hafiz–Hattian Bala road. Access to Leepa Valley has been cut at Dudupura, while the Hajira–Abbaspur road in Poonch remains blocked.
In Nathiagali’s Gilyat Tajwal area, three girls drowned after heavy rainfall. Two were rescued, but one died. Floods also swept away two pedestrian bridges in Nullah Lawat.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has warned of accelerated snow and glacier melt in G-B, with temperatures 7–9°C above normal, increasing the risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs). Authorities caution that rapid melting could expand glacial lakes and trigger further downstream flooding.
Rescue teams, traffic police, and relief workers remain on high alert as monsoon rains continue to batter the region, swelling rivers, submerging low-lying areas, and blocking major routes such as the Karakoram Highway.
