By Tanveer Ahmed
HUNZA, GILGIT-BALTISTAN: Following special directives from the caretaker chief minister of Gilgit-Baltistan, Justice (retd) Yar Muhammad Khan, the Gilgit-Baltistan Disaster Management Authority has dispatched relief supplies for earthquake victims in the Chipurson Valley of Hunza district.
Senior officials, including caretaker ministers and heads of various government departments, have also been sent to the affected areas to review the situation and oversee relief activities. According to official sources, restoration work on roads damaged by the recent earthquake in Chipurson Valley has been completed, restoring ground connectivity to the area.
The reopening of the road has removed obstacles to the delivery of aid, allowing immediate assistance to reach affected communities. Relief items include tents, kerosene heaters, ration packets, blankets, shawls for men and women, cotton coats, and kitchen sets. Authorities said rehabilitation, protection, and the provision of basic necessities for affected people remained the government’s top priority.
They added that relief operations would continue without interruption. Meanwhile, the deputy commissioner of Hunza, Nizamuddin, told media that the earthquake had destroyed 20 houses and partially damaged another 50 in Chipurson Valley. He said more than 40 cattle sheds were also destroyed, causing significant economic losses for the local population.
The deputy commissioner said the district administration was in constant contact with community elders in Chipurson Valley. He added that with the restoration of the Chipurson Valley Road, more relief supplies were being dispatched to the affected areas. Nizamuddin said he would personally visit the site to assess ground realities and make relief efforts more effective. He added that the 40-kilometre-long Chipurson Valley Road was damaged by a 5.9-magnitude earthquake that struck the area on Monday.
