False alarm: Govt quashes rumour of Attabad fissure

GILGIT: Authorities in Gilgit-Baltstan have denied rumours of an impending flood around the Attabad Lake and have asked the people of Hunza not to panic.

“Everything is as usual in the lake and the surrounding area, so stay calm,” Momin Jan, the assistant commissioner of Hunza told The Express Tribune on Sunday.

Residents in villages downstream from the lake panicked after media reports had ascribed a statement to Jan that the mountains on either side of the spillway had developed fissures, posing a serious threat to the residents.

There were also reports that the government was forcing shopkeepers out of Attabad.

“We haven’t issued any statement to the media nor is it correct,” said Jan.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 18^th, 2011.