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This came a day after a flash flood triggered by a glacial lake
outburst damaged the key Karakoram Highway, which passes through
Danyor, disrupting traffic and trade between Pakistan and China.
Engineers and workers were deployed along with heavy machinery
to start repairs, Faraq said Monday.
Meanwhile, several landslides near the damaged mountainous
highway left homes damaged in Danyor and nearby areas as first
responders evacuated those affected by the floods to safer
areas, said Hassan Ali, a local police chief, adding that
essential foods were being provided to those displaced.
Sunday’s glacial lake outburst was huge, Ali said, swelling the
Hunza river and triggering flash flooding that battered crops.
Authorities were still assessing the damage, he said.
The region's Chief Minister Gulbar Khan called the seven who
died “heroes who sacrificed their lives for the community” in a
statement Monday.
Gilgit-Baltistan is known for its scenic glaciers that provide
75% of the country’s stored water supply, according to the
region's official website. Last month, it was hit by landslides,
killing 18 tourists when flash floods swept away their vehicles.
Experts say glacial lake outburst floods occur when water dammed
by a glacier is suddenly released, often because ice or debris
barriers collapse. Scientists say rising temperatures linked to
climate change are accelerating glacier melt in Pakistan’s
northern mountains, increasing both the size and number of these
lakes.
A study released last week by World Weather Attribution, a
network of international scientists, found rainfall from June 24
to July 23 was 10% to 15% heavier because of global warming.
Pakistan produces less than 1% of the world’s greenhouse gases,
but research shows it suffers disproportionately from extreme
weather.
In 2022, its worst monsoon season on record killed more than
1,700 people and caused an estimated $40 billion in damage.
Rains and floods since June 26 have killed more than 300 people
across Pakistan.
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