GILGIT: Hunza’s Hassanabad bridge on the Karakoram Highway (KKH) was swept away on Saturday by a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) from the Shisper glacier.

The outburst of the ice-dammed lake formed by the surging Shisper glacier also submerged four houses, hundreds of kanals of agricultural land, trees, water supply channels, and two hydropower projects.

The flooding in Hassanabad nullah as a result of the outburst caused panic in the valley and disconnected road access between central and upper Hunza, leaving thousands of passengers, including tourists, stranded on both sides.

The Gilgit-Baltistan tourist police confirmed the development, adding that traffic had been diverted to an alternate route on the Sas Valley Road.

According to the authorities, water discharge from the lake started on Friday.

The Shisper glacier started to surge in May 2018, blocking water flow from a stream originating in the nearby Muchuhur glacier, which normally falls into Hunza River in Hassanabad, thus forming an artificial lake.

The water in the dammed lake accumulates in winter and discharges in summer.

District administration said 8,000 cusecs of water started to discharge on Saturday from the lake, which is over one kilometre long and as wide, and 300 feet deep.

GB Home Secretary Iqbal Hussain Khan said an alternative route for small vehicles was being regulated through Sheyar Murtazabad to Ganish. However, heavy vehicles could not go ahead of Murtazabad at present and an alternative route was being identified.

Besides, hotel associations had also been engaged to help stranded tourists, he said, adding that the administration was also regulating the supply of fuel at petrol stations and only 30 litres of fuel had been allowed to tourists only.

Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Khalid Khurshid has directed the administration and all other agencies concerned to take immediate action in view of the situation.

PPP Chairman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said the situation needed to be dealt with urgently.

According to the PPP media cell, he said it should be ensured that local communities were not harmed in any way and that land routes remained open.

Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2022