Cloudburst-triggered flash floods wreak havoc in G-B’s Thor village

CHILAS: A cloudburst triggered flash floods in Thor, a village on the outskirts of Chilas in Gilgit-Baltistan’s (G-B) Diamer district, causing damage to homes, agricultural land, roads and irrigation infrastructure, while relief and restoration work continued on Saturday.

According to local authorities and residents, floodwaters entered several parts of the village after the cloudburst, damaging property and disrupting road links. One house was swept away by the floods, with household belongings, livestock, cash and a vehicle also reported lost.

Officials said teams, assisted by local volunteers, had restored road access at two locations, while work was continuing to reopen other affected routes and clear debris from damaged areas.

Residents said the flooding also affected farmland in Thor’s Shetan, Angar and nearby localities, where standing crops, orchards and cultivated land were buried under mud and debris. Irrigation channels were also damaged, raising concerns over the impact on agriculture in the area. A mosque in the Thor Mehk locality sustained damage during the flooding, while several other structures were affected to varying degrees.

In one incident reported by local residents, Rs400,000 in cash belonging to a flood-affected family was found inside a nearby Wapda Colony building, and the money was later returned to its owner.

Residents also said around 200 grams of gold extracted through placer mining was washed away in the floodwaters. Local people continued searching for the missing gold, although no recovery had been reported.

The flooding has disrupted daily life in several parts of the village, with residents relying largely on community-led efforts to clear roads, remove mud from homes and restore damaged infrastructure.

Authorities said restoration work was continuing, with efforts focused on reconnecting isolated areas and repairing damaged public infrastructure. However, residents said many families whose homes, crops and belongings were damaged would require government assistance to recover their losses.

Gilgit-Baltistan is prone to flash floods during the summer months, when heavy rainfall and cloudbursts frequently trigger sudden surges in water levels in mountain streams. Such events often damage roads, bridges, irrigation networks and agricultural land, disrupting transport and livelihoods in remote communities.

No casualties were reported in the latest flooding.