Hunza:
A new wave of sudden floods on Wednesday forced the authorities to stop repair work on the Karakoram highway (KKH), leaving thousands of passengers, including local and foreign tourists, stranded in multiple points through Gilgit-Baltistan (GB).
Rescue 1122 confirmed the situation of flooding in Gulmit Gojal in Hunza, stating that the restoration work in the KKH stopped after the floods hit Jucharo Nullah. GB government spokesman Faizullah Faraq said the rehabilitation efforts were underway in the areas affected by floods throughout the region.
“The KKH rehabilitation work is in full swing in Gulmit Gojal. Passengers and vehicles are waiting for the road to be restored on both sides of the KKH,” he said, and added that stranded people moved through an alternative wooden bridge route.
Faraq said the authorities had received instructions to accelerate work in Shigar, Ghizer, Hunza, Gilgit, Astore, Diamer and other affected districts. He stressed that the worsening of the situation was linked to the climatic crisis. “Rehabilitation work faces difficulties due to the increase in water flow, river erosion and landslides.”
Meanwhile, the disaster, caused by the fusion of Hunza’s brighter glacier, continued intensifying. According to Faraq, more than 15 houses have been destroyed in Hasanabad, Hunza, due to the serious shore of the river and the erosion of the earth. “Life in Hasanabad has stopped,” he said.
The situation worsened after an increase in water flow eliminated additional sections from the KKH, interrupting connectivity. The spokesman said that the road has partially closed elsewhere, which adds to the challenges for residents and help teams.
The intensity of the river edge and land erosion has forced dozens of families in Hasanabad to leave their homes. “Some residents have begun to dismantle their own houses to save usable materials,” confirmed Gilgit-Baltistan government spokesman.
The relief operations have accelerated, with equipment that works to provide immediate assistance to the displaced. “We will not rest until all the affected families are rehabilitated,” Faraq promised.
Infrastructure damage
According to the local administration in Gojal, thousands of travelers, including those who go to and from China through Khunjerab, were trapped on both sides of the closure without an alternative route available.
The flood also caused important public services interruptions, damaging the fiber optic network and cutting mobile services and internet in parts of Hunza.
“The growing water level in the Khunjerrab river damaged the transmission of electricity near Sust Town, which caused the interruption of electricity in the areas,” authorities said. Heavy machinery has been implemented in an effort to restore traffic throughout the KKH.
Rescue 1122 reported that sudden flood was activated by heavy glacial fusion on Tuesday night. “The sudden flood intensity was high. The flood damaged a bridge and washed a kkh portion,” said his statement.
The torrent destroyed vast stripes of land and infrastructure in Gulmit, sweeping “thousands of kanales of land, trees, irrigation channels and public and private infrastructure.” A popular restaurant on the road, a tourist facilitation center owned by the government and other nearby structures were also lost in the waters.
“The flood destroyed thousands of Kanales of forest and fruit trees, orchards, three link roads, three wooden bridges, five irrigation channels, electricity and internet poles,” the agency said.
Rescue 1122 said that more than 50 people escaped by little from the tragedy during the flood. “Around 60-70 people who repaired the water channels escaped by little disaster after a last minute warning of someone, who saw clouds of dust running ahead of the torrent,” he said.