Overflowing glacial water in Hunza damages Karakoram Highway: officials

GILGIT: The flow of glacial water at Hassanabad village in Hunza has surged and caused erosion to Karakoram Highway, citing local officials ARY News reported on Sunday.

According to local police, overflowing glacial water has damaged a portion of the road and Karakoram Highway has been closed for vehicular traffic at the point of Hassanabad.

Due to the situation, traffic from Hunza has been diverted to Shayar Chowk and from Ganash to Zilla Nagar, police said.

Small vehicles could travel on alternate Nagar road instead of the Karakoram Highway, officials said.

The work has been in progress for reopening of the highway at Hassanabad point, police further said.

Recently Shisper glacier, located west of Hassanabad village, had surged and a huge supra-glacial lake was formed and locals were fearing it can burst or overflow causing extensive damage.

Gilgit-Baltistan Disaster Management Authority (GBDMA) had also directed residents of the village to quit their houses and move to higher altitudes if they hear a siren from a nearby FWO camp.

The Shisper Glacier surge and subsequent creation of a dammed lake had created the fear of a disaster in Hunza.

The Shisper Glacier, a few kilometres from Hasanabad village in Hunza, started to surge in May last year.

The unusual surge blocked water flow from a stream originating in nearby Muchuhur Glacier, which normally falls into Hunza river at Hasanabad, thus forming an artificial lake.