5 killed as landslide hits vehicle in Skardu

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At least five people were killed after their vehicle was struck by a landslide near Rondo Malupa in Skardu on Sunday afternoon, The Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported.

Pakistan is one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries. This year, it recorded its wettest April since 1961, with 59.3 mm of rainfall, causing at least 144 deaths from thunderstorms, house collapses, and landslides, mostly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“The ill-fated vehicle was travelling from Skardu to Shangus when it was suddenly buried under a massive amount of falling debris,” rescue officials told APP.

Police described the scene as “horrific” as the vehicle was swept away by the landslide, leaving no chance of escape for the occupants.

A rescue team was immediately dispatched to the scene to launch a search and rescue operation, the report said.

As the rescue operation continued, officials confirmed that at least five people had lost their lives in the tragedy.

The identities of the victims have not been released yet.

In August this year, landslides and flash floods triggered by monsoon rains wreak­­ed havoc in Kushnat, Pakora, Mominabad and other villages of Gilgit Baltistan’s Astore area, killing two children and destroying a veterinary hospital, a private school, several shops and cattle sheds, police said.

Meanwhile, in May, thousands of people were stranded on the Karakoram Highway after it was blocked at various points due to landslides triggered by a spell of heavy ran and snow.

According to rescue officials, intermittent rain continued across GB and adjoining areas on Tues­day, with the highway blocked at two loc­a­tions in Basari and Lotter in Koh­istan due to landslides.

Some parts of the region, including areas in Gilgit, also faced communication outages due to untimely snowfall received in the upper areas of Astore, Skardu and Hunza, among other areas.

In June, a UN official had warned that around 200,000 people could be affected by the upcoming monsoon, expected to bring heavier rains.

In 2022, heavy rains caused flash floods, killing over 1,700 people, causing $30 billion in damages, and affecting 30 million people.