Heavy rains this week have caused flash floods and landslides in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's Bajaur area late Thursday, killing at least 27 people, including women and children.

Three people, including a woman, were killed in Khalthi Valley, Ghizer, where many homes were buried under debris, according to GB government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq. 

As rescue teams search the area, three more people are still missing.

In Diamer’s Bonar, a brother and sister were swept away by floodwaters, while a child was injured in a landslide on Babusar road. Homes, schools, water tanks, and farms were all damaged by flash floods in Ghizer's Yasin Thoi. 

Roads in Baltistan and Sadpara have been blocked by landslides, and Thor reported damage in the Diamer and Astore valleys. Traffic between GB and the rest of the country suffered delays in Kohistan due to a damaged bridge on the Karakoram Highway.

Emergency measures have been imposed in several parts of GB, with the GB Disaster Management Authority (GBDMA) and Rescue 1122 on high alert. “This is a testing time for Gilgit-Baltistan,” said Faraq, adding that all available resources were being mobilised to help those affected.

The State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) reports that at least eight people have died and two more have been injured in AJK. In Naseerabad, Muzaffarabad, a cloudburst killed six members of one family.

While floods in Samahni's Bhimbar drain washed away a tourist car, heavy rain in the Bagh area forced rivers to overflow. All passengers were rescued.

Water levels have also risen sharply in Jhelum Valley, Samahni, Hattian Bala and Neelum Valley. In Muzaffarabad and nearby areas, over 30 houses, shops and other properties have been damaged or destroyed, and mobile phone services have been suspended in several mountainous regions.

AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwar ul Haq chaired an emergency SDMA meeting, ordering the relocation of residents from riverbanks to safer areas. 

He also approved financial aid for affected families and housing for those who lost their homes, along with emergency checkpoints to monitor water resources. 

Public and private schools will remain closed on August 15 and 16 due to continued heavy rains and landslide risks.

More than 700 tourists, including more than 300 women and children, were left stranded in Ratti Gali, Neelum Valley, after a cloudburst damaged parts of the road, according to AJK Information Minister Mazhar Saeed. 

Bad weather has prevented their evacuation, and free accommodation has been arranged with help from locals.

Heavy rains caused flash floods and landslides in Jabrrai and Salarzai, resulting in nine deaths and four injuries in KP's Bajaur district. Villages were inundated, sweeping away homes and residents.

This year’s monsoon has caused widespread devastation across Pakistan, with floods and landslides claiming more than 300 lives nationwide.

From August 14 to 17, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued a warning of more rain, wind, and thundershowers in Islamabad, AJK, upper Punjab, KP, and GB.