Huge destruction as Chitral hit by new climate challenge: many tourists rescued by soldiers

Hundreds of locals and tourists have been trapped in different areas of Chitral district due to flash floods. Severe downpours in Chitral and adjoining areas have disrupted lives. Several roads joining different valleys have been either completely inundated or washed away. Army soldiers had started relief activities on July 20 for the people who are stuck in the affected areas. Relief goods and food items were distributed among the affectees.
According to sources, tourists have been rescued by the soldiers. However, the Pakistan Army is struggling with provision of required medicines and staple diet. The roads in Kalash, Bamborait, Garam Chashma and sub-division Mastoj are still closed for all kinds of traffic. The authorities have declared emergency in the district. Hundreds of people are stranded in different affected areas of the district. Water has caused damages to hundreds of houses, shops and other instalments.
Flash floods triggered by glacial lake outbursts and cloudbursts ravaged Chitral for the fifth consecutive day on Tuesday. Although, other parts of the province and the tribal belt have also been affected by heavy downpour, Chitral has been in the thick of the calamity. Infrastructure has been the worst-hit and the upper areas of the district have virtually been cut off from the rest of Chitral, leaving as many as 200,000 people stranded. Initial assessment has revealed massive damages, while officials have reason to believe that the actual situation could be much worse. The PDMA said the available machinery and manpower had already been deployed for temporary opening of routes to restore communication. The district administration requires heavy machinery and technical expertise from the National Highway Authority to repair the damage.
Around 40 connecting bridges and more than 200 smaller bridges have been washed away. An estimated 175 houses were completely destroyed while over 200 others were partially damaged. Three towns of Latkoh tehsil-Garam Chashma, Arkari and Karimabad - have been inaccessible for the past six days.
Electricity and water supply systems have also been destroyed, while a shortage of edible items has also been reported. "These are destructive rains," said Meteorological Office Peshawar Director Mushtaq Ali Khan, adding that the phenomenon of glacial lake outbursts is new to Chitral. "The effects will exacerbate with time." According to a statement issued by the military's media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations, around 50 people have been rescued from the troubled areas while eight tonnes of edible items have been distributed among the affected people.
Malakand interim commissioner Mahmood Islam Wazir told media persons that Chitral has been declared disaster-struck and the government has announced an additional Rs10 million for food aid. He said the K-P Revenue Department would submit a report in this regard in three days.
Meanwhile, according to reports, at least 25 mud houses were destroyed by flash floods in a remote village of Kandiya tehsil in Upper Kohistan, said the police. Standing maize and vegetable crops, and the villagers' cattle and other belongings were swept away, but no loss of life was reported there. However, a girl was killed in the Bakarabad area of Jamrud in Khyber Agency when the roof of a house collapsed because of heavy downpour. At least 25 mud houses, standing crops were destroyed and cattle swept away by heavy flash floods in a remote village of Kandiya tehsil of Upper Kohistan, police said. No loss of human life was reported.