Islamabad: More than 300 houses and dozens of shops have been destroyed in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan’s Ghizer district following a glacier burst that triggered a landslide and severe flooding, local media reported on Saturday.
The disaster, caused by a glacial lake outburst (GLOF), once again unleashed flooding across multiple villages, creating an artificial lake on Friday morning.
Several areas were submerged under water, causing extensive financial losses, though officials confirmed that no loss of human life had been reported.
The landslide, followed by the sudden GLOF, devastated Rawshan and Tildas villages early Friday morning. The resulting artificial lake, stretching more than seven kilometres, submerged farmland and swept away sections of the road network.
Locals reported that nearly 80 per cent of Rawshan village had been washed away in the disaster.
A report issued by the district administration on Saturday noted that the water level in the temporary lake created by the disaster has started receding, providing some relief and easing fears of further damage, according to the leading Pakistani media outlet Geo News.
The flood impacted a total of 330 houses in Tildas, Miduri, Mulaabad, Hawks Thangi, Rawshan and Goth villages, while dozens of shops also suffered heavy destruction.
Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Gupis Yasin said that tents, food supplies and other essential relief items were urgently required for displaced families.
Authorities confirmed that water was now flowing out of the artificial lake through a natural spillway, gradually reducing the level and lowering the risk of erosion in downstream areas.
According to the leading Pakistani daily, The Express Tribune, rescue officials have confirmed that at least 200 people were pulled to safety after the formation of the artificial lake sparked fears in the locals.
Senior Ghizer official Sher Afzal said some upstream homes remained submerged, but the anticipated flooding of thousands of additional houses was averted after the spillway opened.
He, however, cautioned that it would take time for water to fully drain from the already affected areas.
Authorities further warned that the natural dam at Rawshan remains unstable and could still give way under pressure.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has maintained a high alert in glaciated regions, with forecasts of fresh rainfall from Saturday, August 23.
The calamity in Ghizer is the latest in a series of glacial lake outburst floods this season.
Four such incidents have already caused extensive damage to homes, crops and vital road connections in valleys across Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to local media reports.
(IANS)
