Major rivers swell amid fresh flood alerts in Pakistan

Widespread monsoon rainfall and upstream spillway releases from Indian dams have caused major river levels across Pakistan to surge, bringing combined river flows to 454,000 cusecs. Official reports indicate that the Indus River reached flows of 232,000 cusecs at Tarbela, 243,000 cusecs at Kalabagh, and 247,000 cusecs at Chashma, while the Chenab River recorded medium flood levels at key headworks, including Head Marala, Head Khanki, and Head Qadirabad. To manage arriving floodwaters from northern catchments, authorities operated the spillways at Tarbela Dam to maintain sufficient vacant capacity.

The Flood Forecasting Division warned that medium to high flooding could develop along the Chenab over the coming hours, while low to medium flooding is anticipated along the Jhelum River. Concurrent extreme temperatures in Skardu and other northern areas reaching 37 degrees Celsius have further accelerated glacier melt, escalating the risk of glacial lake outburst floods across northern mountain catchments.

The severe monsoon weather and resulting flash floods have claimed at least six lives across Khyber District and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. In Landi Kotal, torrential downpours triggered flash floods that swept away multiple vehicles and resulted in three deaths, with rescue divers recovering the bodies of a man, a woman, and a child.

In the Kotli district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, a rain-induced landslide collapsed onto a residence in Hatli Bala village, killing a mother and her two children while injuring two others. Heavy precipitation and cloudbursts also disrupted life in the Neelum Valley, Hazara Division, and surrounding mountain districts, prompting landslides that blocked critical transport routes, including the primary road leading to Saif-ul-Muluk Lake in Balakot. Emergency personnel and administrative authorities have deployed heavy machinery to clear debris from inundated roads while relocating vulnerable residents from low-lying areas along overflowing waterways.