Flash flood sweeps through Hunza village, damaging Karakoram Highway

GILGIT: Dozens of workers narrowly escaped disaster on Tuesday when a sudden flash flood swept through Gulmit village in Hunza, washing away a section of the Karakoram Highway, a bridge, and nearby property. Around 60-70 people were repairing local water channels when the torrent struck.

A video circulating on social media shows the terrifying moments as surging waters tore through the area. Locals described the flood as “unprecedented” in both intensity and volume. Eyewitness and local journalist Ali Ahmad called the scene “chaotic,” recalling how people scrambled to safety only seconds before the water roared past.

The Hunza deputy commissioner confirmed that two excavators have been deployed to clear the Karakoram Highway at Juchar Nallah in Gulmit and to protect the bridge at Baltin Bar Nallah in Shishkat Gojal, which remains at risk.

The Gilgit-Baltistan chief minister has directed authorities to expedite relief and restoration efforts. Experts warn that such incidents have become more frequent in recent years, driven by climate change and accelerated glacier melt in the Karakoram and Hindu Kush ranges. Gulmit and the broader Gojal Valley remain particularly vulnerable due to their proximity to glacial streams and unstable mountain slopes, where sudden floods and landslides have repeatedly disrupted lives, infrastructure and livelihoods.