Missing Swat mountaineer Mian Syed Ali Shah. Photo: Express
A search operation was underway on Saturday to locate a mountaineering guide who went missing after a Glacial Lake Flood (GLOF) hit seven people trekking on Falak Sar peak in Swat district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Rescue 1122 said.
“Legendary Swat mountaineer Mian Syed Ali Shah was climbing Falak Sar peak when his safety rope broke, causing him to fall from the summit. He has since gone missing and a search operation is underway to find him,” Swat Rescue District 1122 Emergency Officer Syed Shoaib Mansoor said. The express PAkGazette.
He said the mountaineer went missing in the Matiltan area located in Upper Swat around 7pm last night.
“Six expedition members were rescued by the service,” he added.
Mansoor further said that of the six rescued trekkers, Swat Rescue 1122 medical teams shifted three injured people from Tehsil Central Hospital in Kalam to Saidu Sharif Central Hospital in Swat.
According to Rescue 1122, the injured were identified as Hawar Hussain, 40, Haris, 22, and Haroon, 27, all residents of Rawalpindi.
Read: PMD warns of heavy rain, flash floods and landslides in Pakistan from July 18 to 25
The rescue official also said that the three remaining people affected by the glacier calving were safe.
He said the incident took place in an “extremely remote and difficult to access area”, which was hampering the search operation.
A day earlier, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) revealed that at least 38 people were killed and 120 injured in KP since the start of the monsoon season on June 26.
PMD issues new GLOF alert for KP and GB from July 19 to 25
The PMD issued an alert on Friday warning that a westerly wave was likely to approach northern parts of the country from July 19 (tomorrow), increasing the risk of GLOF events.
According to the PMD, the incoming westerly system was expected to bring moderate to heavy rain and thundershowers in isolated areas of KP and GB until July 25.
The department said higher daytime temperatures in glacial valleys, combined with expected precipitation, could significantly accelerate the melting of snow and ice. As a result, river flows are expected to increase, while water levels in vulnerable streams may rise rapidly.
Data shared by the department in X demonstrated a trend of elevated temperatures in the region.
In the weather advisory, the PMD said existing glacial lakes could see “a rapid rise in water levels” and new glacial lakes could also form due to the accumulation of meltwater in large volume. Under these conditions, the probability of GLOF events occurring increased.
The alert warned that vulnerable downstream locations and low-lying areas adjacent to river beds could face a high risk of flash flooding, while flash flooding is likely in vulnerable locations.
It also warned that thawing permafrost, combined with excess surface water, could also cause strong flows of mud and debris down mountain slopes.
An increased likelihood of landslides on steep terrain was also observed as a possible impact of the new western influence.
The PMD advised residents and visitors to snow-covered and glaciated valleys to stay away from river banks, stream beds and local nullahs, and to closely monitor these water bodies for any gradual or sudden changes in water levels.
The department also urged the public to refrain from camping, hiking or staying near riverbanks, streams, glacial lakes and narrow mountain valleys, and to avoid steep slopes and unstable terrain where melting snow could trigger landslides or debris flows.
An advisory issued today by the meteorological department also warned of heavy rain, thunderstorm and strong winds in Swat, Naran, Murree, Gilgit, Hunza, Skardu and other northern tourist places from Sunday to Thursday.
