Pakistani Mountain Mudslide Forms 7-Km Lake, Fearing “Catastrophic” Floods
Peshawar: Authorities warned on Saturday that a 7-kilometer (4-mile) lake in northern Pakistan that was formed by a mountain mudslide could rupture and cause “catastrophic” flooding downstream.
The lake was formed in Gilgit Baltistan region on Friday when a mud flow entered the main Ghizer River channel and totally obstructed it, according to the National Disaster Management Authority.
According to a situation report released by its provincial office, the obstruction generated a “dam-like structure” that is seriously threatened to explode.
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority’s director general, Zakir Hussain, stated that the new lake “may produce a devastating disaster.”
He told Reuters that there is a major threat to four regions downstream: Ghizer, Gilgit, Astore, and Diamer.
Ghizer is located in northwest Pakistan, north of the mountain districts, where since August 15, floods brought on by the greatest monsoon rains and cloudbursts of the year have killed about 400 people.
The national authority posted a video of black dirt rolling down the mountain and into the river on a WhatsApp group where it posts statements. An authority official claimed the footage was taken by locals, although Reuters was unable to independently confirm this.
According to Faizullah Faraq, a spokesman for the provincial government, similar mud flows from various mountainside locations entered the river.
He claimed that the first person to see the mud flow rushing down was a shepherd on higher land, who informed the local authorities and villagers. He claimed that almost 200 people in dozens of dispersed homes nestled in the mountainsides and the area around the river were affected by the warning were saved.
Flash floods in regions downstream cannot be ruled out until the lake is fully cleaned, according to Faraq, even though the lake has begun to release water, indicating that the risk of a rupture is decreasing.
According to him, the downstream villages have been ordered to remain on high alert and leave the riverbank.
Since the monsoon began in late June, floods have killed 785 people in Pakistan, according to the national authorities, which also warned of two more rainstorms before September 10.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Metbeat News Staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
