Flash flood damages 20 houses in Darel Valley in Gilgit-Baltistan

GILGIT: A sudden flood triggered by a “cloudburst” early Thursday morning caused extensive damage in Darel, an additional district of Gilgit-Baltistan, destroying homes, crops, and trees.

Darail Assistant Commissioner Waseem Abbas told HUM News English that the flood struck at 5 am on Thursday. He said that people were awake for Fajr prayers and alerted others, which is why no loss of life was reported.

He said the flood triggered by a cloudburst in the Majini Mohalla area partially damaged 20 to 25 houses, while five were completely destroyed.

He added that crops and trees were also badly damaged, and reports are coming in of flooding in other streams throughout the valley, which authorities are investigating.

G-B government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq said a high-level flood hit Darel, an additional district of Gilgit-Baltistan, sweeping away dozens of houses.

He said villagers issued timely warnings in a traditional manner, which helped save many lives, adding that without this alert, dozens of lives could have been lost. The spokesperson also said that numerous livestock were swept away, and standing crops as well as agricultural land suffered heavy losses.

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He said that under the directive of chief minister, relief and rescue teams, including disaster management units, had been dispatched to Darail. Faraq said the local administration has been instructed to play an active role in the rehabilitation of flood victims.

Meanwhile, Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan has ordered the Gilgit-Baltistan Disaster Management Authority (GBDMA) Director General and the Commissioner of Diamer to immediately launch relief operations in the flood-affected areas of Darail.

In a statement, the chief minister said that every possible assistance will be provided to flood victims, including the supply of tents and relief goods to families whose homes have been damaged. He directed the district administration to visit the affected areas and begin relief and rehabilitation work on an emergency basis.

According to official data from the GB DMA, at least 41 people ,— 26 men, 9 women, and 6 children — have died, 51 others have been injured, and four remain missing since the start of the monsoon season. Additionally, 773 houses have been completely destroyed, while 480 have suffered partial damage.

Tanveer Abbas