Landslide in Diamer leaves one miner dead

In the remote Deral area of Diamer district, a mining tragedy unfolded on Sunday as a landslide claimed the life of one miner and left another missing. Shafiqur Rehman, a resident of Manikal Shahi, succumbed to the disaster, with his body recovered around 4pm and transported back to his hometown. The second miner, Inamur Rehman from Deral, is yet to be found.

Rescue teams have been activated to hunt for the missing individual. The landslide struck while the miners were prospecting for gemstones in the Chida area of the Deral Valley. The district administration noted that the region's remoteness and lack of communication infrastructure have complicated search efforts. Local residents reported that the force of the landslide, carrying heavy rocks and mud, has hindered the recovery process.

In response, Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Amjad Hussain has directed all commissioners to closely supervise the ongoing rescue operations and expedite the action using all resources at their disposal. "There shall be no delay," Hussain emphasized. He also ordered the local administration to provide maximum support and manpower to the rescue agencies, including Rescue 1122, the Gilgit-Baltistan Disaster Management Authority (GBDMA), and the police.

Hussain expressed his commitment to ensure that every possible effort is made to locate the missing miner swiftly and safely. The tragedy also brought another sad chapter in the Astore district, where a swimming accident claimed one life and rescued another. The drowning students, one from Chungra and the other from Gorikot, were local residents. While one was pulled to safety, the other succumbed to the water at the scene.