The truth behind a picturesque blue lake in Pakistan

This beautiful blue-colored lake, located between the peaks of the Karakoram Mountains in northern Pakistan, but little is known has proven its terrifying origins.
In January 2010, an earthquake in the area caused a landslide that crashed down the mountain and buried the village of Attabad, in the Hunza Valley, in the Gilgit Baltistan region, about 760 kilometers from Islamabad.

Rock and soil also flow into the drainage area of ​​the Hunza River and quickly fill the area, creating a new lake. The landslide, which displaced about 6,000 people and damaged, flooded more than 20 kilometers of the important Karakoram highway, was the only connection to the outback at the time. Karakoram Expressway started construction in 1959 by China and Pakistan together and completed 20 years later, in 1979. About five months after the disaster, Lake Attabad expanded to 21 kilometers long and more than 100 meters deep. The lake runs along the valley, narrow like a large, blue serpent, adding to the breathtaking beauty of the Gilgit and Hunza valleys. The truth behind a picturesque blue lake in Pakistan The beautiful blue color of the lake is like blending with the sky, creating a beautiful natural painting. Nestled among the majestic Karakoram mountains in northern Pakistan, Lake Attabad is currently the largest lake in this Gilgit-Baltistan region. The lake becomes a major tourist attraction. Hotels and guesthouses spring up around the lake, along with a variety of recreational activities such as boating, water motorbikes and fishing. But for those affected by the landslide, the lake, the scenery is not quite as picturesque. The Attabad disaster completely engulfed four villages including Ainabad, Shishkat, Gulmit and Gulkin. Apple Tree Garden with many hundreds of years old trees, historic sites, temples are submerged in the lake. At that time, the army evacuated the local people and temporarily took them to another valley. Highway is flooded, vehicles, passengers and goods must travel by wooden boat. Five years later, the Karakoram Expressway changed course along the shores of the lake and people’s lives returned to normal. Today, Lake Attabad attracts tourists from all over the world, freely admiring the special wonder created by nature. Pakistan has many beautiful lakes such as Lake Borith located at an altitude of 2,600 meters above sea level, or Passu glacier lake in the middle of mountains … but few lakes have both natural beauty and disintegration like Lake Attabad. .