GILGIT:

At least eight volunteers were killed and several others are feared trapped when a landslide struck a flood-damaged water channel in Gilgit's Danyor Nullah during repair work, police said on Monday.

The volunteers were working to restore the channel when a mass of earth suddenly collapsed, burying them under debris, according to police.

Hospital sources confirmed that all those killed were members of a local volunteer team, while three others sustained injuries.

As the search for more survivors continued, authorities declared an emergency in local hospitals. A provincial government spokesperson said accelerated glacial melt, driven by climate change, had increased water flow in several streams across the region.

President Asif Ali Zardari expressed deep grief over the incident

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