Heavy rainfall suspends helicopter service in Hunza

GILGIT: The helicopter services have been suspended in Hunza after heavy rains in the area, while water outflow from Attabad Lake has reached 3,200 cusecs.

The rate of erosion has also increased and visible cracks have appeared around the spillway, indicating that it may breach at any time.

The slow flow of water through the spillway has caused the lake to expand in length and depth, allowing water to submerge more and more houses in villages upstream.

Water outflow from Attabad lake rises

Water outflow from the Attabad Lake into the spillway has reached 750 cusecs while erosion has reached up to seven meters.

With around 300 cusecs of water also being discharged through seepages, the total amount of water being discharged daily is more than 1,100 cusecs.

Land routes to Gulmat, Shishkat, Aian Abad, Hussaini, Zahir Abad and Khurram Abad have been flooded.

Major flood in Attabad less likely, say officials

GILGIT: Officials have downplayed the possibility of a major flood occurring in Attabad in the next three days, as outflow from the ‘landslide lake’ has increased steadily.

“There is no chance of a flood occurring in the next three days as the erosion of the spillway is slow,” said district administrator Hunza,  Zamir Abbas on Monday. “But that doesn’t mean that the lake will never breach its banks,” he said, adding, that the danger was still very real and officials were aware of all possibilities.

The slow discharge of lake water from the spillway has overturned expert’s predictions that the area would be flooded 24 hours after the water reached the spillway.

People asked to avoid Red Zone

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has said that water discharge from the spillway of the “landslide lake” in the Attabad area of Hunza Valley is likely to begin anytime.

The lake was formed on January 4 when a massive landslide blocked the flow of the Hunza river at Attabad. The 20-kilomtre-long lake has submerged several upstream villages and destroyed a huge chunk of the strategic Karakoram Highway (KKH). And now it is threatening downstream villages.

Water from Attabad lake reaches spillway

Chairman of the National Disaster Manangement Authority (NDMA) Lt General (retired) Nadeem Ahmed said that the spillover of Attabad lake has started.

Talking to Express on Saturday, the NDMA chief said that all the safety measures have been taken and the initial outflow from the lake will be 300 cusecs.

Attabad lake swallows Shishkat

GILGIT: Water from the Attabad lake has completely submerged Lower Shishkat and partially flooded Gilmat, reports indicated on Tuesday.

However, the speed at which the lake’s water level was rising has slowed down because the lake is expanding upstream now, said Assistant Commissioner Hunza, Zamir Abbas. He said the water is still 8.4 feet short of the spillway, meaning that it will be another four days before water begins to stream out of the lake.