Police conduct search operation in Lahore
LAHORE: Lahore police have declared the state of red alert in anticipation of possible terror attack in Lahore and adjoining areas in response to intelligence agencies’ report, kicking off a high-level search operation late on Thursday night, which continued till Friday morning, Geo news reported.
According to sources, police and other law enforcement agencies received reports, which feared a likely terrorist strike in Lahore on Friday, sparking fear among Lahoreites.
Heavy police contingents, comprising over 2000 personnel, carried out search operation in Lahore, Manga Mandi, Township and other areas, featuring door-to-door search operations and collection of residents’ information.
Policemen also conducted investigation from various aspects.
City is now abound in deputed police parties on numerous places owing to high security alert but no arrest was made.
Hunza affectees vow to continue widening spillway
HUNZA: The affectees of Attabad Lake announced to continue digging of water spillway on Friday to make it wider to allow quick flow of water from the landslide-created lake as inflow and outflow in the lake is almost equal.
DC Hunza Zafar Waqar said inflow into lake is 6400 cusecs and outflow is 6432 cusecs.
Meanwhile affectees of tehsil Gojal have announced to continue the digging of spillway to make it wider whereas Galmat administration has warned affectees that action will be taken against them if they violated the ban imposed to conduct any kind of activity near the lake and seized the boats if they tried to reach the lake through boats.
Hunza affectees try to dig water spillway wider
HUNZA: Some of the victims of Attabad Lake Thursday came out with spades to dig the water spillway wider to allow quick flow of water from the landslide-created lake.
Meanwhile, DC Hunza Zafar Waqar warned of legal action if the above activity led to any kind of damage.
Water continued to flow into Attabad Lake and out through the spillway, as the affectees staged a protest against the administration at Aliabad on Karakorum Highway.
The protesters complained that the administration instead of making a wide nullah only dug a narrow drainage from which water is flowing out at a slow pace. The demonstrators from Attabad broke through the police cordon to reach the spillway where victims from different areas of Gojal district who arrived there on boat joined them.
The victims managed to reach the scene despite closure of boat service and started plowing the spillway with spades and other tools they brought along with them.
Lake overwhelms low-lying areas
HUNZA: The Gilgit-Hunza section of Karakoram Highway will remain open till 4pm with the landslide-created Lake in Ata Abad is persistently bulging owing to the melting glacier thanks to clear weather, Geo News reported Tuesday.
The management opened a portion of Karakoram Highway between Huna and Gilgit till 4pm today with the traffic resumed there and the held up relief caravans are reaching the affected areas with the relief goods.
The clear and sunny weather conditions coupled with the melting glacier conspired to rise the water level, causing the Lake to expedite the overflow.
The overflow and stretch of water is deteriorating the orchards and the crops in the low-lying areas, which have been evacuated in view of imminent lake-propelled flood.
According to management, the situation is wholly under control and being monitored each second.
The entrance into all low-lying areas between Hunza Nagar and Gilgit is still banned.
The rescue work via helicopter is in progress thanks to clear skies and the affectees are being airlifted to the safer places.
Ataabad lake water level continuously rising
Ataabad water level is continuously rising and it is feared the water will enter to spillway in two days. Water level has risen to 350 feet, bringing the distance between water and spillway down to six feet.
Experts say that water outflow is likely to begin from the landslide-hit lake anytime on May 27. People are being shifted to safe places through helicopters.
According to the Met office, dry weather in Hunza and its adjoining areas will intensify melting of ice. Hunza Deputy Commissioner said that commandos of Pak Navy have arrived in Hunza amid fears of possible flooding.
Meanwhile, water seeping from the lake into valley has submerged many other areas. On the other hand, the affected people have complained they have been provided with the similar kind of food for the past five months.
Ataabad lake water likely to enter spillway in 2 days
HUNZA: Ataabad water level has risen to 350 feet, bringing the distance between water and spillway down to six kilometer.
The National Disaster Management Authority says that water outflow is likely to begin from the landslide-hit lake anytime between Tuesday and Thursday.
The NDMA spokesman said that water outflow is 197 cusec against the inflow, which is about 2400 cusec.
According to the Met office, weather will remain dry in Hunza and its adjoining areas, due to which melting of ice will be intensified.
Hunza Deputy Commissioner said that commandos of Pak Navy have arrived in Hunza amid fears of possible flooding.
Meanwhile, water seeping from the lake into valley has submerged many other areas.
On the other hand, the affected people have complained they have been provided with the similar kind of food for the past five months. They are being served with ‘Dal Chawal’ only.
Magsi slams Geo siege
KARACHI: Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party chief Qadir Magsi has condemned the workers of Sindh National Party for laying a siege around offices of Geo News and Jang.
“We believe in free press,” he said while speaking to Geo TV on phone Sunday.
Magsi said every organization has the right to protest but added it should not be turned into hooliganism.
The opinion expressed by the SNP shows that it is supporting the government.
Bad weather affects helicopter service
HUNZA: Hunza lake water entered into low-lying areas and inundated more districts. The gap between the spillway and the lake level has increased to ten feet, Geo News reported Sunday.
Helicopter rescue service has been affected due to bad weather conditions
Deputy Commissioner Hunza, Zafar Waqar Taj said due to expansion of lake into low-lying areas of Phissoo speed of increase in water level has been steady.
The administration, holding the situation as highly hazardous, set May 25 as deadline for overflow from the Lake.
Nespak and PWD engineered visited the region today and handed over their assessment report to the local administration.
The government declared high alert in Hunza and banned entrance into the vacated villages in view of imminent threat of flood there, as the landslide-triggered Lake is on the surge to threatening level with melting glacier standing in collusion.
The inflow at the Lake is 2600 cusecs and outflow is mediocre 200 cusecs causing the lake to have spread over 26- kilometer area.
Deputy Commissioner Hunza told, `Entering the vacated 32 villages in Hunza Nagar and Gilgit was already banned at night in view of imminent threat of flood; however, now the ban has been extended to be in force at daytime as well.”
He further said, `we have warned people and clear-cut advisory has been issued to them. If someone goes to the areas, he would be responsible for the loss he incurs.”
19 killed in China train derailment
The death toll from a train derailment in east China Sunday has risen to 19, said rescue authorities. Another 71 people were injured, 11 of them seriously, after the accident in Jiangxi Province, said a statement from the rescue headquarters.
A spokesman of the headquarters said the train and 8,000 cubic meters of mud and rocks from the landslide were removed from the tracks, after 2,000 rescuers using heavy machinery completed the rescue operation.
The train was en route from Shanghai to the scenic city of Guilin in south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, when it came off the tracks at around 2:10 a.m. in Dongxiang county, Fuzhou city.
It derailed after hitting a section of track that had been damaged by a a landslide, the Ministry of Railways said in a press release early Sunday. The Shanghai-Kunming railway line was closed after the accident.
President Hu Jintao has urged railway authorities to reopen the lines as soon as possible.
High alert declared in Hunza
HUNZA: The government declared high alert in Hunza and banned the entrance into the vacated villages in view of imminent threat of flood there, as the landslide-triggered Lake is on the surge to threatening level with melting glacier standing in collusion.
The situation is all the more hazardous as the gap between the spillway and the lake level has narrowed to six feet. The inflow at the Lake is 2600 cusecs and outflow is mediocre 200 cusecs causing the lake to have spread over 26-kilometer area.
The administration, holding the situation as highly hazardous, set May 25 as deadline for overflow from the Lake.
Meantime, government of Pakistan declared a high alert and imposed from today a prohibition on entering the vacated villages in view of potential threat of Lake burst or imminent flood.
Deputy Commissioner Hunza told, ‘Entering the vacated 32 villages in Hunza Nagar and Gilgit was already banned at night in view of imminent threat of flood; however, now the ban has been extended to be in force at daytime as well.’
He further said, ‘We have warned people and clear-cut advisory has been issued to them. If someone goes to the areas, he would be responsible for the loss he incurs.’
