Free Republic

ISLAMABAD: A massive glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) occurred in Hunza district's Hassanabad village Saturday, sweeping away the Hassanabad bridge on the Karakoram Highway. The Shisper Glacier started discharging 5,000 cusecs of water owing to premature melting, leaving Hunza, Gilgit disconnected. The flow of water, however, reduced by Sunday morning, Hunza Deputy Commissioner Usman Ali said. The official said that a temporary bridge will be built after the water completely drains out of the lake. Scottish Meteorologist Scott Duncan warned that there could be more glacial meltings due to continuously rising temperatures. He forecast that the temperatures would "inevitably surpass...

GILGIT, Pakistan  — Explosives used for road-building detonated in a northern Pakistani village Sunday, killing 45 people and injuring 150, officials said. The explosives were in the home of a contractor, Waris Khan, who died in the blast, police official Hussain Khan said. He said the blast was apparently an accident. The massive explosion happened at 2 a.m., and several homes in the village of Ghair (search) caught fire, Khan said. Many of the 45 killed were women and children, and police were digging through debris searching for more bodies, he said. Investigators believe a short circuit in the home caused...