Attabad Lake in Pakistan is a stunning result of a natural disaster

In the Gojal Valley (Gilgit Baltistan) of Pakistan lies the very stunning Attabad Lake, which was created by a natural disaster in the year 2010. Also known as the Attabad Disaster, the lake here is one of the prime tourist attractions and tourists can often be seen enjoying jet skiing, fishing, boating and myriad other recreational activities.

A look at the clear blue colours of this stunning lake will make you feel like you are living in a poet’s dream. What adds to the natural beauty of the lake are the peaks of the Karakoram mountain range surrounding the region.
What happened in 2010?

In the year 2010, the village of Attabad in the Hunza Valley (about 760 km away from Islamabad) was hit by a huge landslide, which probably was created by an earthquake. Reportedly, boulders from the mountains around came crashing down and destroyed the village. Along with Attabad, four other villages, namely Ainabad, Shishkat, Gulmit and Gulkin were also completely destroyed. Around 20 people were reported killed and more than 6000 villagers became homeless and were stranded for days during this period.
How was the lake created?

The flow of Hunza river was obstructed for about five months because of the landslide. This gave birth to a new lake altogether; soon water reached for over 21 km with a depth of over 100 m (330 ft). In no time, the water began flowing over the landslide dam and more than 170 houses, and 120 shops were flooded.

Months later, it became a full-fledged lake flowing along the narrow valley. Though it was created by a disaster, one can’t ignore the spectacular beauty it’s blessed with. The valleys of Gilgit and Hunza are already sprinkled with myriad pretty blue mountain lakes and this has only added to the beauty of the region.

Ten years later, now Attabad Lake is the reason for people’s livelihood in the region. It was soon after the tragedy that the lake started witnessing a massive flow of tourists, which gave birth to small hotels and guesthouses.