PESHAWAR: Pakistani rescue workers evacuated more than 200 stranded passengers after flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains blocked a key highway in the country’s northwestern Lower Chitral district, emergency services said on Wednesday.
The annual monsoon season, which runs from June to September, regularly triggers flash floods, landslides and house collapses, particularly in Pakistan’s mountainous north and low-lying river plains. According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), 18 people hav been killed and 61 injured in rain-related incidents nationwide since June 26, while 104 houses were damaged and 163 livestock perished.
The season has become increasingly hazardous in recent years as climate change intensifies extreme rainfall and accelerates glacier melt, heightening the risk of flash floods and glacial lake outburst floods.
“Rescue 1122 Lower Chitral carried out a timely operation during the flash flood and safely rescued more than 200 passengers,” the emergency service said in a statement.
It added that torrential monsoon rains triggered flash floods and debris flows that blocked the Drosh-Ashirat road at multiple locations, leaving several passenger vehicles stranded.
Rescuers stationed at nearby watch points launched the initial response before additional teams arrived from the district headquarters.
The statement said rescue teams continued operations for six hours across the affected areas of Kalkatak, Kaldam Gol, Sawir and Ashirat.
The operation involved 20 Rescue 1122 personnel, three ambulances and a disaster response vehicle, with authorities coordinating with the National Highway Authority and the district administration to restore road access and ensure public safety.
“No loss of life or injuries occurred in the flash flood incident,” the statement added.
Pakistan has witnessed increasingly erratic weather in recent years, with officials warning that rising temperatures are accelerating glacier melt and making rainfall patterns more unpredictable.
Last month, the NDMA warned of an elevated risk of glacial lake outburst floods in the country’s mountainous north, urging authorities to prepare evacuations and keep emergency responders on standby.
