Nature Unleashed in the North
Heavy monsoon rains, record-breaking temperatures, and accelerated glacier melt have triggered widespread glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) and flash floods in Gilgit-Baltistan between August 12 and 13, 2025, plunging the region into a deepening humanitarian crisis.
Source: X/@IbexMedianetwrk
Karakoram Highway Severed
- A devastating GLOF from the Shishper Glacier surged through the Hassanabad Nullah, sweeping away a key segment of the Karakoram Highway (KKH).
- This destruction has cut off Hunza from major supply routes and paralyzed trade between Pakistan and China.
- Authorities have arranged an alternative route for light vehicles, but heavy transport remains stranded, posing further logistical and economic challenges.
Damage Across Communities
- In Hunza and Shigar, flash floods have destroyed agricultural fields, endangered homes, and uprooted local infrastructure.
- Downed electricity poles, snapped fiber-optic cables, and broken irrigation channels have caused severe water shortages and communication breakdowns in multiple areas.
- Local communities are struggling to access drinking water, and irrigation systems have collapsed just before the critical end-of-summer crop cycle.
After three hours of destruction, the flow of Juchar Nallah in Gulmit Gojal returned to normal. Earlier, a massive flood swept through the area, damaging homes and crops, blocking the Karakoram Highway, and stranding tourists. According to local sources, around 50 workers… pic.twitter.com/Zl4ccvrbNf
— Ibex Media Network (@IbexMedianetwrk) August 12, 2025
Casualties and Public Outrage
- On August 11, a day prior to the major flooding, a landslide in Danyor claimed the lives of seven volunteers and left six others injured as they attempted to restore a damaged water channel.
- The incident has sparked public protests, with locals condemning what they describe as the government’s delayed disaster preparedness and response.
Emergency Response Activated
- Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered:
- Advance alerts for high-risk areas.
- Enhanced coordination between the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and provincial authorities.
- The Gilgit-Baltistan government has promised:
- Immediate rehabilitation of KKH.
- Acceleration of relief operations in Hunza and other affected districts.
More Rain on the Horizon
- The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued a red alert:
- A fresh monsoon system is forecast to affect Gilgit-Baltistan and northern Pakistan from August 18 to 21.
- The incoming weather could bring more flash floods and landslides, further compounding the ongoing disaster.
A National Wake-Up Call
This week’s disaster highlights the urgent need for climate-resilient infrastructure and early warning systems in vulnerable regions. With GLOFs increasing in frequency due to climate change, Pakistan must treat glacial zones as national priority areas for long-term disaster risk reduction.
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