Flash floods threaten Pakistan quake survivors - Liz Lynne

6.16.54pm GMT Tue 14th Feb 2006

According to new reports, the survivors of the earthquake that devastated South Asia are now facing a new threat, Liz Lynne, Lib Dem MEP for the West Midlands, warned today.

As well as freezing winter conditions, new fears have emerged that a landslide dam of material shaken loose during the quake could burst under the rising water level, causing a giant wave which would potentially destroy refugee camps.

Studies have shown that there is a 70% chance that such a landslide dam will give way within 12 months.

After visiting the region last month, experts say urgent action is needed, or a second catastrophe is likely. The recommended solution is that a drainage channel - known as a spillway - is built in order to empty the lake before July; the start of the monsoon season.

So far, the Pakistani authorities have said that they are aware of the situation and are monitoring rising water levels. However, the latest risk assessment strongly advises that this is no longer adequate and an international effort to drain the lake is needed.

Liz Lynne, who is a member of the European Parliament's delegation on South Asia and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), said today in Strasbourg:

"We must ensure that all is done to prevent further devastation."

"If the dam were to burst, it would be the refugees living in tents by the river in Muzaffarabad who would be directly hit by the resulting flood surge. This was the area which bore the brunt of the earthquake, so there is already great suffering.

"The Pakistani authorities must recognise that the current policy of keeping an eye on rising water levels is no longer sufficient. There is an urgent need for drainage as highlighted by the latest risk assessment and the necessary action must be taken to prevent more disastrous consequences."

"I will be writing to the Pakistani Ambassador in Brussels to ask what practical steps the Government of Pakistan plans to take to prevent a likely disaster.

"I am also writing to the European Commissioner for Development, Louis Michel, to find out how aid and reconstruction funds channelled into the earthquake region are being co-ordinated to take into account this emerging priority."

ENDS