Artificial lake causes flood in Gilgit-Baltistan after glacier melting

GILGIT: An artificial lake that had sprung up in the Ishkoman valley of Ghizer district in Gilgit-Baltistan region, is now overflowing and created flood-like situation in the adjoining areas.

Army medical corps has been deployed in the area and it has started to provide aid and rescue to the affected people.

The flood flow has affected the adjacent areas and many including Gahkuch and other low lying areas are now being evacuated to avoid the wrath of the disaster.

There have been no reports of dead however the flood has destroyed the crops and damaged cultivated land in its way.

According to Baltistan disaster management authority, Army aviation corps has already started providing aid to the people of the affected region.

Shuja Alam, Deputy Commissioner of Ghizer district has said that the Barsuwat glacier started melting on Tuesday (July 17) at about 7:00 pm. Water from the melting glacier, containing mud and stones, fell into Barsuwat Nullah and caused flooding. A number of vehicles were also damaged by the floodwater.

According to reports, the flow of the Immit river was blocked in the area, creating an artificial lake. The upstream areas remained cut off from the rest of the country and people of scores of villages were badly affected as a result.

With large swathes of cultivated and other land coming under water, as floodwaters and landslides blocking several vital roads. Flooding caused by rapid melting of glaciers has wreaked havoc across the region.