Human remains found in Babusar flood zone search operation

GILGIT: Rescue operations continued across flood-ravaged Gilgit-Baltistan on Sunday as authorities reported the recovery of fragmented human remains from the flood debris near Thak Bhasha area on the Babusar Road.

Read more: Five killed, 15 missing as flash floods hit Babusar-Thak Road

Faizullah Faraq, a spokesperson for Gilgit-Baltistan government, said the human remains have been collected by local authorities and the police for forensic analysis. DNA testing would be conducted to ascertain the identities of the victims, he added.

“The identification of these remains will require DNA testing, and they will soon be sent for forensic examination,” said Faraq in a statement.

Read more: Fresh flash floods hit G-B; missing child’s body found near Babusar

The spokesperson also revealed that a woman’s body was recovered from the Indus River near Thore Minar area in Chilas, Diamer. “The body could be that of one of the tourists swept away at the Babusar Road,” he opined.

SITUATION REMAINS DIRE

Meanwhile, the situation in other parts of Gilgit-Baltistan remains dire.

“In Niat Valley, Diamer, eight small villages have been completely destroyed due to the floods. Responding to the scale of the disaster, the deputy commissioner has been dispatched to oversee relief efforts in the valley,” Faraq added.

He said that Pakistan Army, along with the district administration and other emergency services, continue extensive search and rescue operations across the affected areas.

Faraq said efforts were ongoing along the Babusar route where multiple tourist vehicles were washed away earlier this week.

According to the spokesperson, most of the stranded tourists in the Fairy Meadows area have been safely evacuated, and those remaining have now been shifted to safer locations.

“Rescue and relief operations are also actively underway in Ghanche, Ghizer, and flood-affected areas of Gilgit district. The Karakoram Highway (KKH) has been reopened for all types of traffic after closures caused by landslides and flooding,” he added.

FINANCIAL IMPACT IS IMMENSE

However, according to the spokesperson, the financial impact of the natural disaster is immense.

“The estimated losses from the floods exceed Rs20 billion,” said Faizullah Faraq.

“Given that the Gilgit-Baltistan operates primarily on federal grants, such a large-scale disaster is beyond the capacity of the regional government to address on its own,” he added.

He urged the federal government to announce a special rehabilitation grant to assist Gilgit-Baltistan in coping with the extensive damage.

On Saturday, Chief Minister Gulbar Khan confirmed that at least 10 people — including seven in the Thak area on Babusar Road, two children in Thore Diamer, and one woman in Astore — had lost their lives due to the recent floods in the region.

While addressing a press conference in Gilgit alongside his cabinet members, Gulbar Khan appealed to the federal government for Rs7billion in emergency funds to deal with climate-induced disasters that approximately caused damages exceeding Rs20 billion across the region.