PM hails Ghizer shepherd who saved hundreds in glacier flood

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday paid tribute to Wasiyat Khan, a local shepherd in Ghizer district of Gilgit-Baltistan, whose quick action saved hundreds of lives after a glacier flood hit the area late Thursday night.

According to officials, Wasiyat Khan alerted residents of Tali Das village in Ghizer district to the incoming flood after a glacier burst triggered flash floods.

Had he not alerted the villagers, the glacier flood would have swept them away as the millions of dollars’ worth of early warning systems installed in Gilgit-Baltistan’s climate-vulnerable valleys under the GLOF-II project had failed to ring alarm bells.

Earlier on Friday, Gilgit Police awarded Wasiyat Khan a cash prize of Rs10,000 and a certificate of appreciation for his timely action in saving the villagers.

The glacial outburst blocked the Ghizer River for nearly 10 hours, inundating hundreds of houses and destroying large parts of Tali Das and nearby Roshan village. Rescue 1122 said more than 200 people were evacuated to safety, while displaced families were shifted to Yangal and Sumal, where medical aid and relief supplies were being provided.

Gilgit-Baltistan officials confirmed there were no casualties but said about 80 per cent of Tali Das had been wiped out, with dozens of houses destroyed.

Locals, however, complained that the early warning system installed under a UNDP-funded project failed to alert them. Instead, it was Khan’s timely intervention that prevented a major tragedy.

The prime minister lauded the shepherd’s bravery, saying he had risked his own life to warn others, which ensured there were no casualties.

He also directed that medical assistance and relief goods be delivered to all affected families without delay and ordered rehabilitation work to begin immediately after rescue operations. He also instructed authorities to accelerate relief activities in view of fresh monsoon spells.

A Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) occurs when water suddenly escapes from a glacial lake, leading to severe flooding that can block or overwhelm rivers.

Pakistan is home to more than 13,032 glaciers, the largest reserve outside the polar regions.

Experts warn that nearly 10,000 glaciers in Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan are rapidly melting due to rising temperatures caused by climate change.