Villagers in fear of starvation

Hundreds of people are stranded in Gaise village which has been cut off from the rest of the country after floods.

GILGIT: Residents of Gaise village in the Gilgit-Baltistan region will starve to death if the government failed to airlift food to the area in the next 24 hours. Hundreds of people are stranded in Gaise village which has been cut off from the rest of the country after flash floods and landslides destroyed vital bridges and roads.

Dozens of villagers gathered outside the chief secretary’s office on Friday to protest non-availability of food in the village . “We are facing a critical situation. If the government fails to do something in the next 24 hours, scores of people, especially children and elderly, will die of starvation,” one of the protesters told The Express Tribune by phone. They asked the government to “leave the casualties for the time being and try to save those who are alive”.

“Shame on the government. No relief has yet reached the valley since the floods hit us two days ago,” said another protestor.

At least 48 people were killed and 80 wounded when a massive landslide triggered by a lightning strike in the village on Wednesday.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14^th, 2010.