Relief efforts underway after glacier burst damages over 100 houses in Pakistan’s north

A glacier burst in northern Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) on Friday caused extensive damage, destroying more than 100 houses and creating a massive lake stretching nearly 8 kilometers, according to officials. Relief and evacuation operations are underway in the affected areas.

What is a Glacier Burst (GLOF)?

The disaster, known as a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF), occurs when a glacial lake suddenly releases its water due to accelerated melting caused by rising global temperatures. Such incidents are becoming increasingly frequent in Pakistan, which is home to thousands of glaciers.

The latest event was reported at around 3am on Friday in the Rowshan and Talidas areas of Ghizer district, a region that also contains five of the world’s 14 peaks above 8,000 meters.

Damage and Immediate Impact

Faizullah Faraq, spokesman for the GB government, confirmed that the glacier burst created a large lake and caused heavy destruction in multiple villages.

“One kilometer of road stretch was damaged in the flooding. The main road of Ghizer is closed. Over 100 houses were damaged and huge financial losses occurred, but the local population was rescued by volunteers with the help of GB government and Pakistan Army,”
Faraq told Arab News.

The GB Disaster Management Authority (GBDMA) said helicopters were deployed to evacuate stranded residents, while warnings were issued to downstream communities from the lake site up to Biarchi, a key area linking Ghizer with Gilgit district.

“All downstream 63 schools have been safely evacuated,” GBDMA confirmed in its statement. It also assured that drinking water supplies were being restored to affected villages, while tents and other relief materials had been requested from headquarters.

Monsoon Rains Intensify Crisis

The incident comes as Pakistan grapples with an unusually intense monsoon season, which has already claimed 771 lives nationwide since late June, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

In Gilgit-Baltistan alone, at least 45 people have died due to monsoon rains, cloudbursts, and flash floods since June 26. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has reported the highest toll with 465 fatalities.

National Situation

• Urban flooding has submerged large parts of Karachi, the country’s financial hub.
• Overflowing rivers have been reported in the southern regions of Punjab province.
• Flash floods and landslides remain a significant threat in mountainous areas.

Pakistan, despite contributing less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, is considered one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world.

Weather Advisory and Forecast

The Pakistan Meteorological Department issued an advisory on Thursday warning of further severe weather conditions:

• Aug 22 onward: Strong monsoon currents from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal to penetrate the upper parts of Pakistan.
• Aug 22 night: A westerly wave expected to hit the same regions.
• Aug 23–27: Torrential rains with thunderstorms forecast for central and northern Pakistan.
• Aug 27–29: Heavy rains expected in Sindh and eastern/southern Balochistan.

Areas at Risk:

• Flash Floods: Chitral, Swat, Shangla, Kohistan, Abbottabad, Charsadda, Nowshera, Murree, Galliyat, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, northeastern Punjab, Azad Kashmir, and hill torrents of Dera Ghazi Khan (Aug 23–26).
• Urban Flooding: Low-lying areas of Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Peshawar, Nowshera, and Mardan (Aug 23–27).
• Landslides/Mudslides: Vulnerable hilly regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Murree, Galliyat, and Kashmir.

Lessons from the 2022 Floods

The ongoing crisis has revived memories of 2022, when unprecedented rainfall combined with glacier melt left a third of Pakistan underwater, killing more than 1,700 people and causing an estimated $30 billion in economic losses.

Officials have once again stressed the urgent need for climate resilience measures, improved disaster preparedness, and global cooperation to protect vulnerable regions like Gilgit-Baltistan from future catastrophes.