Gilgit:Seven local volunteers lost their lives in a massive landslide while working to restore the flood-damaged Danyor Nullah in Gilgit, officials said on Monday.According to the GB government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq, the incident also left seven others injured. All the injured were rushed to nearby hospitals, where emergency services were immediately activated to manage the crisis.The volunteers were reportedly repairing a damaged water channel when a sudden mudslide buried them under tonnes of earth and rocks.
Police said four individuals were pulled out from the debris in critical condition during the rescue operation.Faraq said that the search and rescue efforts have now been completed.
The recent monsoon spell wreaked havoc across Pakistan with scenes of urban flooding, flash floods and landslides resulting in over 260 deaths, while several others are still missing, along with damage to infrastructure.Gilgit Baltistan, which hosts several tourist hotspots, was also battered by flash floods and landslides, with Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan, last month, saying that at least 10 people were killed and four others were injured in the region in floods triggered by intense monsoon rains.
Expanding on the extent of damage, the chief minister said that 300 houses were destroyed, whereas 200 were partially damaged. Also, 30-40% of water channels and 15 to 20 kilometres of roads were damaged.Last week, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif distributed compensation cheques among families affected by recent floods in Gilgit Baltistan and directed immediate restoration of damaged infrastructure under a Rs4 billion relief package.