Floods imperil Pakistani villages

22/05/2010| IslamWeb

In northern Pakistan, an artificial lake formed by a landslide in January is now threatening to burst its banks and inundate more than 39 villages in the regions of Hunza and Gilgit.

Officials have evacuated thousands of people this week amid fears a potential burst could affect about 50,000 people downstream and sever a road serving as an important trade link with China.

Over the past few months many villages have been swallowed in the reservoir and stranded people have had to use boats to travel on the icy waters.

Officials hope for a gradual erosion of the blockage once the water starts flowing sometime next week through a canal that army engineers made to drain the lake.

But they have not ruled out a sudden breach that could lead to massive flooding.

Many residents have complained that the government's help came too late.

PHOTO CAPTION

A natural dam caused by a landslide is seen in Attaabad village in Hunza district of northern Pakistan May 16, 2010.

Al-Jazeera