Fresh landsliding hit Atabad village in Hunza Valley.
Fresh landsliding hit Atabad village in Hunza Valley on Tuesday. (Inset) Mourners pray for the victims during the funeral.—Dawn
GILGIT Rescuers recovered three more bodies of the landslide victims buried under the boulders in Atabad village of Hunza, raising the death toll to 13, sources in the local administration said.

Locals fear more deaths as some people are still missing. The victims, mostly aged women and children, were buried in Aliabad amid tears as thousands of people including politicians, lawmakers, senior civil and military officials attended the funeral.

Speaker Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly (GBLA) Wazir Baig, Member GBLA Mutabiat Shah, Chairman National Disaster Management Authority Maj-Gen Farooq Ahmad, Force Commander Gilgit-Baltistan Maj-Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and others were present on the occasion.

Gen Ahmed said that the victims would be compensated and rehabilitated. He told media that the boulders that had blocked the river would be removed and pledged a helicopter for the region to tackle disasters.

Communication between Gojal, upper Hunza, and rest of the world has been disconnected as the Karakoram Highway has been blocked. Telephone and electricity lines have also been destroyed, said an official of the Water and Power Department.

The water in the blocked Hunza River is advancing towards Gojal tehsil, Shishkat and lower parts of Gulmit.

Opinion

Editorial

Hasty transition
Updated 05 May, 2024

Hasty transition

Ostensibly, the aim is to exert greater control over social media and to gain more power to crack down on activists, dissidents and journalists.
One small step…
05 May, 2024

One small step…

THERE is some good news for the nation from the heavens above. On Friday, Pakistan managed to dispatch a lunar...
Not out of the woods
05 May, 2024

Not out of the woods

PAKISTAN’S economic vitals might be showing some signs of improvement, but the country is not yet out of danger....
Rigging claims
Updated 04 May, 2024

Rigging claims

The PTI’s allegations are not new; most elections in Pakistan have been controversial, and it is almost a given that results will be challenged by the losing side.
Gaza’s wasteland
04 May, 2024

Gaza’s wasteland

SINCE the start of hostilities on Oct 7, Israel has put in ceaseless efforts to depopulate Gaza, and make the Strip...
Housing scams
04 May, 2024

Housing scams

THE story of illegal housing schemes in Punjab is the story of greed, corruption and plunder. Major players in these...