Landslide and glacial floods kill 8 volunteers, ravage homes in PoGB

Gilgit [Pakistan], August 11 : Eight local volunteers lost their lives in a significant landslide while working to repair the flood-damaged Danyor Nullah in Gilgit, located in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit Baltistan (PoGB), according to a report by ARY News on Monday, citing rescue officials.

Many others were injured and taken to nearby hospitals, where emergency services have been placed on high alert.

Rescue teams, with the help of residents, continue to search for individuals believed to be trapped under the rubble. The landslide occurred suddenly while the volunteers were engaged in restoring the damaged waterway, as ARY News reported.

Massive amounts of earth and rocks engulfed several individuals, with police confirming that four were rescued alive but are in critical condition. Earlier, the National Highway Authority (NHA) team cleared the road at KM 161 in Jalkhad, which had been blocked by a landslide, and traffic flow was restored.

On the same day, the team temporarily rebuilt the Looshi Bridge, which was washed away by heavy rain and landslides, reopening it for traffic to ensure continued passage along the route, stated ARY News.

The road at Tatta Pani, previously affected by a landslide, was cleared once again. This section had been reopened by NHA teams two days earlier, but became blocked again by another landslide.

Disasters driven by climate change continue to impact Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB) as a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) from the Shishper Glacier surged through Hassanabad Nullah, damaging parts of the Karakoram Highway and destroying public and private properties, reported Dawn.

Officials characterised the event as the most severe in the region since 2018. "The volume of today's flood was the highest in the Nullah since 2018," noted Zubair Ahmed Khan, assistant director of the Gilgit-Baltistan Disaster Management Authority (GBDMA) for Hunza and Nagar, as reported by Dawn. The flood disrupted the primary road access for much of Hunza's population, with traffic redirected through the Sas Valley Road from Murtazabad, he added.

The torrent, exacerbated by accelerated melting of glaciers, tore through farmland, uprooted trees, and damaged both public and private property. In Hassanabad, residents are now assessing the damage.

"The flood eroded land near multiple homes and put over 50 houses near Hassanabad Nullah at risk," said Saleem Bercha, a resident, in an interview with Dawn. "Several houses have developed cracks. Recently, ten homes were dismantled in an attempt to protect them from the water," he remarked.

Residents of Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB) are contending with the aftermath of the recent floods that have obliterated homes, agricultural land, and critical infrastructure. Families displaced by the disasters are currently living outdoors, urgently seeking government support to reconstruct their lives.

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