A LANDSLIDE…AND NEW LAKE IN HUNZA

But not a nice one…a huge potentially unstable one that is growing daily after a major landslide, just 10km north of the flying site in Karimabad. Miracuously, only 19 people have been reported dead, but for them and their village this is a major disaster…look at the precariousness of the situation at http://pamirtimes.net/

It appears the lake has another 82 vertical metres to grow before the spillage point…and if the new dam wall is unstable it will be a huge volume of water that could engulf the valley down stream.Already villages are becoming submerged in the new lake. I really feel for the people of Hunza, and hope the water can be released before it becomes much higher.
and this is it coming down onto the KKH…photo first published by PAMIR TIMES…and found at http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/pakistan/2010/01/100129_hunza_landslide_pic_rh.shtml along with many others…the dam wall looks alot more than 83m to me,knowing how big the terrain really is…and there was a village up there…this is so bad.

the dam wall is more clearly seen from the sky. The rubble is lying along the valley,creating a more stable dam i would guess, and less likely to erode quickly once the water starts flowing again,although that stuff the dam is made off is probably fine sand at best, maybe even ‘talcum powder’, plus massive rocks. But at least the height of the dam doesnt look so monstous from the air…phew.

Lets hope the stuff still hanging stays put for a while

Houses in the village of Shishket are slowly being submerged…this is the village of Manzoors wife (she is fleetingly seen in Birdman )…must be worrying.