• Damaged KKH section sealed as a precautionary measure; Gilgit-Shandur Road remains blocked for the seventh consecutive day
• Mic Office warns of strong
Gilgit: A flooding of the Glacial Lake (Glof) of Shisper Glacier swelled the Nullah Hassanabad in Hunza, damaging the infrastructure and placed dozens of houses at the risk in the mountainous region of Gilgit-Baltistan.
The authorities said the strong flood eroded the protective walls of the Karakoram highway (KKH) and damaged farmland. Due to the erosion of the land caused by the Nullah, dozens of houses are at risk in case of such events in the future.
According to the Gilgit-Baltistan disaster authority (GBDMA), the flood damaged the newly built containment wall and a part of the Karakoram road. Although the road is open to all types of traffic, the damaged section has been sealed for security measures.
The authority said that a significant area of cultivable lands, along with crops and trees standing, had been eliminated in the flood, while the supply of electricity to Hasabad was also interrupted. Similarly, a property owned by the Forest Department had suffered damage, while a part of the land of the border work organization adjacent to a bridge also suffered damage.
The locals said that four downstream houses were dismantled in time to save them from the flood. Last month, a similar Glof event damaged four houses, agricultural land, trees and public and private properties.
The authority asked the National Highway Authority (NHA) to urgently visit the site to evaluate the damaged section and inspect other vulnerable parts of the road. The members of the Community -based Disaster Risk Management Committee, GBDMA staff and other volunteers were actively monitoring the situation on the site and supporting community preparation and response efforts.
On the other hand, the Gilgit-Shandur road remained closed for the seventh day in the town of Khotom of the Phander Valley, which extended to thousands of people in the area.
Met Office Warning
On the other hand, the Department of Meteorology of Pakistan issued a warning for heavy rains through Thursday afternoon through Kashmir and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and advised citizens to remain alert, Dawn.com reported.
Posted in Dawn, August 8, 2025
