15 July 2011
News of two (?) valley-blocking landslides
Posted by Dave Petley
News today of two valley-blocking landslides:
First, the old favourite – Attabad in Pakistan. The Pamir Times is carrying a story today about the Attabad landslide:
The District Administration of Hunza-Nagar has ordered the hotel owners and transporters to immediately evacuate an area at the Southern end of spillway of the dammed Hunza River, towards Aliabad. According to initial reports the area has been declared vulnerable to landslide.
There are also reports that some cracks have been observed above the KKH, on opposite side of Attabad Village.
According to observers a landslide in the specific area may not have any major impact on spillway of the dammed Hunza River, but it has the potential to cause severe damage to life and property. The evacuation has been ordered as a precaution.
I am slightly unsure as to where this means as the spillway is orientated east-west, and Aliabad, as I understand it, is located about 17 km downstream of the landslide.
Second, according to Inside Costa Rica, an earthquake sequence on Tuesday and Wednesday caused the Guacalito River to dry up. That sounds worryingly like it could be a valley-blocking landslide. I hope someone is taking a look.
Slow moving landslide at Souris in Manitoba, Canada here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8S-eq0Gp2M
From Associated Press of Pakistan
Attabad Lake spillway fissures threaten lives PDF Print E-mail
ISLAMABAD, Jul 16 (APP): The mountains used for Attabad Lake spillway have developed some fissures threatening the formulating lives of the thousands of residents around there, whose evacuation started yesterday was halted after spate of scattered rains. Assistant Commissioner Hunza, Momin Jan told a TV channel that the experts were of the opinion that the mountains used for Attabad Lake spillway developing cavities have reached to a danger point, giving rise the possibility of its caving in.
In view of this experts’ warning, evacuation of the area people was started yesterday, which had to be stopped after rains.
According to the administration sources that the rescue operation would resume with the improvemen in weather.
The spate of scattered rains continued since morning sporadically in Hunza and the adjoining areas hindering the resumption of the rescue operation.
The pressure on the right side of the mountains persistently increasing due to the January 4, 2010 incident resulting in the blockade of the River Hunza flow and now the fissures in it have widened up to one and a half mile.
Attabad: Not sure if video covers the accident on May 19 or a more recent one. Was uploaded 2 days ago. Attempts to widen spllway are showing results.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2Xq6rXaKkM