Swat’s missing mountaineer Mian Syed Ali Shah. Photo: Express
A search operation was underway on Saturday to trace a mountaineering guide who went missing after a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) affected seven people trekking Falak Sar Peak in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Swat district, Rescue 1122 said.
“Swat’s legendary mountaineer Mian Syed Ali Shah was climbing Falak Sar Peak when his safety rope snapped, causing him to fall from the summit. He has since gone missing, and a search operation is underway to find him,” Swat Rescue 1122 District Emergency Officer Syed Shoaib Mansoor told The Express Tribune.
He said the mountaineer went missing in the Matiltan area located in Upper Swat at around 7pm last evening.
“Six expedition members have been rescued by the service,” he added.
Mansoor further said that of the six rescued trekkers, Swat Rescue 1122 medical teams moved three injured people from the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital in Kalam to Central Hospital Saidu Sharif 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 across Pakistan from July 18-25
The rescue officer also said that the remaining three people affected by the glacier burst were safe.
He said that 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 K-P since the onset of the monsoon season on June 26.
PMD issues fresh GLOF alert for K-P and G-B from July 19 to 25
The PMD issued an alert on Friday warning that a westerly wave was likely to approach northern areas 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 to isolated areas of K-P and G-B until July 25.
The department said higher daytime temperatures in glaciated valleys, combined with the anticipated precipitation, could significantly accelerate snow and ice melt. As a result, river flows are expected to increase, while water levels in vulnerable streams may rise rapidly.
The data shared by the department on X demonstrated elevated temperatures trending in the region.
In the weather advisory, PMD said existing glacial lakes could experience “a rapid increase in water levels” and new glacial lakes may also form due to meltwater accumulation in high volume. Under these conditions, the likelihood of GLOF events increased.
The alert cautioned that vulnerable downstream locations and low-lying areas adjacent to riverbeds could face a high risk of sudden inundation, while flash flooding is likely in vulnerable locations.
It further warned that the thawing of permafrost, combined with excess surface water, could also trigger heavy mud and debris flows down mountain slopes.
Increased likelihood of landslides in steep terrain was also noted as a possible impact of the fresh western influence.
The PMD advised residents and visitors in snow-bound and glaciated valleys to stay away from riverbanks, stream beds and local nullahs, and to monitor these water bodies closely for any gradual or sudden changes in water levels.
The department also urged the public to refrain from camping, trekking 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 by the Met department today also warned of heavy rain, thunderstorms and strong winds across Swat, Naran, Murree, Gilgit, Hunza, Skardu and other northern tourist spots from Sunday to Thursday.
