Six months ago, on January 4th, 2010 in the remote Hunza River Valley of northern Pakistan, a massive landslide buried the village of Attabad, destroying 26 homes, killing 20 people, and damming up the Hunza River. As the newly-formed lake grew, authorities rushed to evacuate and supply those affected in the landslide area and upstream. The lake is now over 300 feet deep and 16km (10 mi) long, submerging miles of highway, farms and homes. Earlier this week, the lake reached the top of the natural dam, and began to spill out – rapid erosion of the landslide debris has authorities worried about a potential breach, and locals have been evacuated as officials monitor the developing situation.
"An aerial view shows lake overtaking a village in the Hunza district of northern Pakistan."
38 Photos
This photograph was taken while a secondary landslide was taking place near Attabad village in northern Pakistan.
After the lake began to flow through the spillway that was cut into the landslide debris on May 29th, the flow of the water has increased, but still does not match the inflow upstream from the Hunza River.
The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on the Terra satellite acquired this false-color image of the landslide.
Huge clouds of dust arise as land slides.
A partially submerged pedestrian bridge in the Upper Hunza Valley.
A gate near an orchard lies submerged in the upper Hunza Valley on April 14th, 2010. Around 40 houses in Ayeenabad and Shishkat Payeen have been dismantled to save valuables from sinking in the lake water.
A scene looking down on flooded orchards and homes in the village of Ayeenabad, Pakistan on May 8th, 2010. The hard work of at least three generations have been destroyed by the lake.
Some trees will bloom only for a while this year in the Gojal Valley villages of Ayeenabad and Shishkat in northern Pakistan.
The people of Gojal carrying daily essentials on their backs across the landslide site.
Workers use machines to dig a spillway to release water pressure built up by the natural dam caused by a landslide in Attabad village in Hunza district of northern Pakistan.
A massive landslide early this year formed a natural dam in the Hunza river created a lake that is consuming upstream as it expands. If dam breaks, a flash flood could threaten downstream villages.
Workers use machines to dig a spillway to release water pressure built up by the natural dam caused by a landslide in Attabad village in Hunza district of northern Pakistan.
The second largest bridge on Karakuram Highway submerged in the lake water between Shishkat and Gulmit, two of the largest settlements of Gojal valley. The bridge had already been closed for all sorts of traffic due to the dangers posed by wind and water.
A view from a military helicopter of the lake growing behind a natural dam caused by a landslide which passes through Sheeshgat village in Hunza district of northern Pakistan.
Residents of the Gojal (Upper Hunza) Valley ride across the lake flooding their villages and rising daily.
A girl cries while sitting with others to protest against the government's failure to announce compensation for those displaced by a lake created after a landslide during a demonstration in Attaabad village in Hunza district of northern Pakistan.
Pakistani soldiers help villagers as they board an army helicopter in the village of Altitin in the Hunza district of northern Pakistan on May 21, 2010. Flooding from a lake in northern Pakistan risks affecting 40,000 residents of some 34 villages already evacuated to safety, a top disaster management official said.
Pakistani soldiers help villagers as they board an army helicopter in the village of Altitin in the Hunza district of northern Pakistan on May 21, 2010. Flooding from a lake in northern Pakistan risks affecting 40,000 residents of some 34 villages already evacuated to safety, a top disaster management official said.
While the boats brought to the new lake have been a great help for the stranded people, concerns for safety of the passengers remains a major issue.
Pillars of the under-construction "friendship bridge" for the Karakoram Highway, now flooded – seen on May 2nd, 2010, only two weeks after the same scene was photographed from a different angle.
This image, acquired by the Advanced Land Imager (ALI) aboard NASA's Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite on March 16th, 2010 shows the blocked Hunza River and the growing lake, then 11 km (7 mi) long, inundating several villages and 5 km (3 mi) of the Karakoram Highway. Landslide blockage is at lower right.
As water rises, locals use a makeshift pedestrian bridge to help them supply and evacuate in the Hunza River Valley in northern Pakistan. The pillars are from an under-construction "friendship bridge" for the now-partly-submerged Karakoram Highway.
Women, who lived near a lake created after a landslide in Hunza district, cut barley in a field in Seeshghat village in Hunza district of northern Pakistan.
Villagers, who lived near a lake created after a landslide in Hunza district, collect belongings from their home at Sheeshghat village in Hunza district of northern Pakistan.
An aerial view, taken from military helicopter, of a natural dam caused by a landslide in Attabad village, Hunza district, northern Pakistan.
An aerial view, taken from military helicopter, of a natural dam caused by a landslide in Attabad village, Hunza district, northern Pakistan, May 21, 2010. Thousands have been evacuated from their homes this week in north Pakistan amid fears a lake, formed after a landslide blocked the Hunza River on January 4, could soon burst, triggering massive flooding and severing an important trade link with China.
n this image taken on Thursday March 11, 2010, Pakistani loaders carrying goods imported from neighboring China which are ferried through a lake due to blockade of the Karakoram Highway, in Attabad, northern Pakistan. A massive landslide early this year formed a natural dam in the Hunza River created a lake that is consuming upstream as it expands. If dam breaks, a flash flood could threaten downstream villages.
In this image taken on April 30, 2010, local people use a boat to ferry their vehicles in a lake caused by landslide which cuts off part of the Karakoram highway to China, in the Hunza district of northern Pakistan.
Heavy machinery is employed to lift and carry a wooden boat up the side of the landslide debris to be deposited in the lake to aid evacuation and supply missions.
With the only highway wiped out by the landslide, Gojal Valley locals turn to airlifts to help them evacuate and get access to goods and services.
Men climb across landslide debris in the Hunza River Valley.
funeral service is held for some of the victims of the Hunza Valley landslide.
Local volunteers conducting search for bodies in rubble near the village of Attabad.
A view of the newly-forming lake formed due to blockage of the Hunza River, seen three days after the landslide.
Land cracks visible in the land near what remains of the village of Attabad.
A view of the newly-forming lake formed due to blockage of the Hunza River, seen three days after the landslide.
Hammad Saleem Azeemi
System / Network Engineer
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