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The death toll from the recent flooding in the Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB) region has reached 10, as rescue operations continue and stranded tourists are being relocated to safer areas, Dawn reported, citing officials on Sunday.
According to Dawn, the region had been witnessing alarming effects of climate change, with heatwaves, unpredictable weather, and glacial melt triggering cloudbursts and severe flooding. The floods, which began last week, triggered landslides, stranded many, and damaged over 500 houses, roads, and essential infrastructure throughout the region. According to Dawn, citing an official in the region, 10 people have lost their lives due to flood-related incidents since Monday. The death toll in Babusar Valley alone has risen to seven, while two deaths were reported from Thore Valley in Diamer and one from the Astore district. A woman's body was also recovered from the Indus River in Chilas's Minar area, and officials suspect she may be among the tourists swept away along the Babusar Highway. "The body could be that of one of the tourists swept away at the Babusar Highway," the official, Faizullah Faraq, stated, as quoted by Dawn. Faraq noted that between 10 and 12 tourists are still believed to be missing in Babusar Valley, and search efforts are ongoing, led by the Pakistan Army, district authorities, and other agencies. Most of the tourists trapped in Fairy Meadows have been safely evacuated, and the Silk Road has been reopened to all traffic, Faraq added. He estimated that the total damage caused by the floods in PoGB amounts to approximately PKR 20 billion, as reported by Dawn. He urged the federal government to provide a substantial relief package, as the region heavily relies on grants and aid, and the provincial government cannot handle this alone. On Saturday, the Chief Minister of the Provincial Government in the region, Haji Gulbar Khan, appealed to the federal government for PKR 7 billion in emergency assistance, highlighting the extensive destruction across seven districts, with Diamer being the most severely affected, Dawn reported. Khan emphasised that floods are now a near-daily occurrence in the region. He reported that 300 homes were destroyed, another 200 partially damaged, and 40 water channels across 30 villages were washed away. Infrastructure, including 15 km of roads, bridges, farmland, and public and private property, has been severely affected, Dawn reported. He also pointed out the inadequate emergency budget, noting that only PKR 1 billion was allocated for disaster response in the region's budget, while the local government was already burdened with PKR 3 billion in outstanding liabilities from previous disaster recovery efforts. (ANI)
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