Torrential rains, cloudbursts, and flash floods have unleashed destruction across Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, claiming at least 23 lives and injuring dozens in a single day. The extreme weather has caused landslides, road blockages, and widespread infrastructure collapse, paralysing daily life in several northern regions.
In Azad Kashmir, continuous downpours and landslides have destroyed roads, bridges, and homes, cutting off access to multiple valleys. In Muzaffarabad’s Naseerabad Tehsil, a cloudburst swept away six members of a family, while other fatalities were reported in Pallandri and Bagh. Hundreds of tourists remain stranded in Neelum Valley and other highland areas.
Gilgit-Baltistan faced similar devastation, with the death toll in Ghizer reaching 11. Roads to Shandur, Deosai, and remote tehsils are blocked, isolating communities and tourists. Dozens of villages in Skardu, Kharmang, and Shigar have lost homes, crops, and electricity infrastructure.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, lightning strikes, collapsed roofs, and flash floods killed multiple people, including children, in Bajaur, Lower Dir, and Buner. Floodwaters have submerged schools and homes, while rescue teams and the army work to relocate survivors.
The Meteorological Department has forecast continued heavy rains for Islamabad, Kashmir, Upper Punjab, KP, and GB, with Sindh, including Karachi, expecting severe weather between August 18 and 23. PDMA Punjab has issued flood alerts as India releases water into the Chenab, raising the risk of high flooding in the Chenab and Jhelum rivers.
