Gilgit - Baltistan

Boat service for Gojal Valley suspended, 10 month old child loses life in Sost

The boats cannot operate when the lake freezes. There is no other mean for transporting patients out of the region. Photo: Mirbaz Khan
The boats cannot operate when the lake freezes. There is no other mean for transporting patients out of the region. Photo Courtesy: Mirbaz Khan

Hunza, December 20: The local administration has suspended the boat service for Gojal Valley to avoid mishaps due to freezing of the dammed Hunza River. The boat service will remain suspended for three days, said an official. He said that the decision has been taken to ensure safety of the public. 

Meanwhile, there are reports of hundreds of people being stranded on both sides of the frozen river, among them patients and some foreigners.

Death of 10-month old child in Sost

A 10-month old child named Shahan, son of Nadir, hailing from the Moorkhun village of Gojal Valley, has passed away, unable to find immediate medical help. He was suffering from Pneumonia and had been admitted at the Aga Khan Medical Center Sost, where he could reportedly not be treated due to lack of facilities. His parents were unable to shift him to Aliabad Hunza for medical care because of the suspension of the boat service.

It is pertinent to note that the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital in Gulmit is without doctor and nurses. The patients have been suffering due to absence of staff in the region. PC IV of the hospital constructed during last government’s tenure has still not been approved by the provincial government.

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