ISLAMABAD, July 22:  At least four tourists were killed, two injured, and 15 reported missing after flash floods triggered by a cloudburst hit Gilgit-Baltistan region in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

  The incident occurred on Monday in Diamer district, sweeping away eight tourist vehicles, Faizullah Faraq, a spokesperson for the regional government, said.

  Four bodies, including that of a woman from Lodhran in Pakistan’s Punjab province, have been recovered so far, while the injured and deceased were shifted to a local hospital.

The flash floods also blocked the Babusar Highway and disrupted communication and electricity in the area. Hundreds of stranded tourists were rescued, with local residents providing temporary shelter, Faraq added.

Senior Superintendent of Police Abdul Hameed told the Dawn newspaper that the floodwaters carved a seven-kilometre path, sweeping away at least three tourist vehicles. He estimated that 20 to 30 people from various parts of the country could be missing. Ongoing rescue efforts have been hampered by continuous mudflow.

In addition to Diamer, flash floods also struck Ghizer district, damaging homes, farmland and infrastructure in villages.

In Skardu, authorities placed the Gamba Rescue station on high alert amid rising flood threats in Bargi and Sadpara nullahs. Floodwaters entered homes and damaged public and private property, roads, and irrigation channels.

A portion of the Karakoram Highway near Passu in Gojal was damaged, leaving thousands stranded and threatening to sever access to upper valleys and Pakistan’s only road link to China via the Khunjerab Pass.

Gilgit-Baltistan Environmental Protection Agency Director Khadim Hussain said the region has seen record temperatures and persistent humidity for over six weeks, leading to frequent cloudbursts and severe flash floods. “The mountainous terrain amplifies the destruction as mud and rockslides intensify downstream,” he said.

 Agricultural lands, orchards, homes and basic infrastructure have suffered extensive damage.  (PTI)