29 April 2010

Latest update on the Attabad landslide in Hunza

Posted by Dave Petley

The lake level at the Attabad landslide continues to rise at about 55 cm per day, reflecting the increased level of inflow from snowmelt.  NDMA and Focus now conduct joint surveys of the freeboard and have agreed a broadly common figure – currently about 23 m.  At current rates this continues to indicate an overtopping date of early June (full details on the monitoring site):

Seepage remains a concern, although at the moment the rate of increase remains linear with time over recent days:

Meanwhile, the length of the lake is now extending quite rapidly as the valley gradient at the head of the lake is low, as this Pamir Times image shows:

I remain deeply concerned about the potential for failure through seepage or another landslide, and of what will happen at the point of overtopping.