CHILAS: The body of three-year-old Abdul Hadi, son of Dr Mishaal Fatima, was recovered on Wednesday evening near Dasar in the Thak Babusar region, three days after a deadly flash flood swept through Babusar Top.
Local residents spotted the body near a stream around 7pm and promptly alerted the authorities. Gilgit Baltistan Scouts recovered the body and transported it to Chilas Hospital. Abdul Hadi had gone missing when a sudden cloudburst triggered a flash flood that swept away a family returning from Skardu.
The tragedy claimed the lives of Dr Mishaal Fatima, who jumped into the torrent to save the child, and her brother-in-law Fahad Islam.
A family from Lodhran, they were picnicking in the scenic region when disaster struck. The Director of Administration at Shahida Islam Medical College stated that their bodies will be transported to Lodhran by 2pm, with funeral prayers scheduled for 5:30pm in Adam Wahan graveyard.
Torrential monsoon rains continue to wreak havoc across Pakistan, with the nationwide death toll rising to 252 after 10 more people lost their lives on Wednesday, according to the National Disaster Management Authority’s (NDMA) data.
Punjab remains the worst-hit province with 139 deaths and 477 injuries, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (60 deaths) and Sindh (24 deaths).
The casualties also include 16 in Balochistan, 6 in Islamabad, 5 in Gilgit-Baltistan, and 2 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The primary cause of deaths is the collapse of houses (143 fatalities), followed by flash floods (41), drowning incidents (36), lightning strikes (13), electrocution (12), and landslides (4).
Across Punjab, urban flooding was reported in multiple cities.
In Jhelum, heavy rainfall turned a cricket stadium into a pond, while flash floods in Attock brought stormwater into residential areas.
In Hafizabad, residents were instructed to evacuate with livestock amid flood threats from the Chenab River.
Lahore received 108mm of rain, further straining drainage systems.
In Azad Kashmir, flash floods and landslides have disrupted access in multiple areas including Samahni, Jhelum Valley, Neelum Valley, Leepa, Bagh, Poonch, Bhimber, and Sudhnoti. Two rivers flooded due to a cloudburst, sweeping away a bridge and cutting off communities.
In Islamabad, a father and son who were swept away in a flash flood remain missing, with only parts of their vehicle recovered so far.
Rescue operations have expanded from a local housing society drain to Kak Pul, facing added challenges due to ongoing rain and rising water levels in the River Sawan.
Meanwhile, widespread flooding in the Thor Valley damaged more than 50 houses and a Wapda building, district officials said. Two individuals remain missing, and an ongoing search operation is underway. The flood also destroyed key infrastructure, including a connecting bridge, watermills, water channels, crops, and orchards.
In response, the district administration has declared an emergency across Diamer, cancelled all leaves for doctors and paramedical staff, and mobilised all departments for rescue operations. The Thak-Babusar Road remains closed, with debris covering 8 to 10 kilometres of the route.
Deputy Commissioner Diamer said that road clearance is being hindered by landslides and large boulders, with current weather conditions increasing the risk of further landslides. A combined search and clearance operation is in progress.
GB government spokesperson Faizullah Firaq stated that six bodies have been recovered so far, with search operations ongoing. He added that Chief Minister GB Haji Gulbar Khan visited the affected areas, met victims’ families, and oversaw rescue activities.
Tourists previously stranded on Babusar Road were shifted to Chilas. No tourists remain stuck in GB as of Wednesday, according to the GB government. While the Naran and Babusar highways remain closed, the Silk Road is open from Khunjerab to Rawalpindi.
In the wake of the disaster, residents of Diamer living in flood-affected mud houses extended remarkable support to rescue operations, offering food and shelter to stranded travellers alongside police and district officials
