Pakistan: Thousands hit by glacial, flash floods face shortage of essentials, await Govt help

Gilgit [PoGB], August 26 (ANI): People continue to suffer due to the government's apathy after glacial and flash floods in Gilgit-Baltistan left them waiting for essential services, including water supply, as reported by Dawn on Tuesday.

According to Dawn, residents in several tehsils of Ghizer remained isolated for the fourth day due to the blockaded Gilgit-Shandur Road- which has been submerged in last week's glacial flood that resulted in the creation of an artificial lake.

A resident told Dawn that 300 houses damaged by the flash flood had been submerged by the lake, and villagers remained without basic necessities. Despite the locals decrying about being uprooted from their homes, they are yet to receive any help and continue to live without electricity, potable water, housing, medical facilities and other basic needs.

The landslide, accompanied by a sudden glacial lake outburst (GLOF), wreaked havoc in the villages of Rawshan and Tildas early Friday morning. An artificial lake over seven kilometres long flooded farmland and washed away parts of roads. Locals claim that approximately 80% of Raushan village was destroyed.

The disaster in Ghizer adds to a series of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) that have hit this season, with four confirmed incidents already damaging homes, crops, and transportation links in the valleys of PoGB and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Experts warn that increasing temperatures are hastening glacier melt, raising the likelihood of such occurrences in the future, as reported by Geo News.

UN News reported that the severe weather is forecast to continue into early September, thereby raising the risk of further flooding, landslides and crop losses, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Pakistan has seen monsoon season bring in widespread destruction in recent years. In 2022, unprecedented floods killed more than 1,700 people, displaced millions, and caused an estimated USD 40 billion in economic losses.

Pakistan faces regular monsoon flooding from June to September, often resulting in deadly landslides, infrastructure damage and large-scale displacement, particularly in densely populated or poorly drained regions. (ANI)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)