Victims of the landslide and expansion of the lake staged a sit-in protesting the lack of government action and compensation payments to them. As a result of the damming of the
Hunza River, five villages north of the barrier were flooded. One village, Ayeenabad, was completely submerged. Major portions of another village, Shishkat, were also submerged. Around 40% of the village of Gulmit, which also serves as the headquarters of Gojal Valley, was also submerged. Significant portions of land in Hussaini and Ghulkin villages of Gojal also got submerged as a result of the surging lake. The entire population of the central Hunza and Gojal valleys (Upper Hunza), up to 25,000 individuals, were affected as a result of the lake formation. The challenges stemmed from the impediments posed by road access, hindering the populace from reaching business markets. Additionally, the community endured losses in terms of land, houses, and agricultural yields, further compounding the adverse effects brought about by the lake's emergence. Attabad Lake was visited by the former prime ministers of Pakistan
Yousuf Raza Gillani and
Nawaz Sharif, and by the
Chief Minister of Punjab,
Shahbaz Sharif. Sharif announced Rs 100 million of aid for the victims from the Punjab government and Rs 0.5 million for the relatives of those who died in the landslide. Areas downstream from the lake remained on alert despite some officials believing that a major flood scenario was less likely as the river began flowing over the landslide dam during the first week of June 2010. Many people have been evacuated to 195 relief camps. Two hospitals downstream, the Kashrote Eye Vision Hospital and the
Aga Khan Health Service, evacuated both their staff and equipment. As of 14 June 2010, the water level continued to rise.
Dawn News reported that "242 houses, 135 shops, four hotels, two schools, four factories, and several hundred acres of agricultural land" had been flooded, and that villagers were receiving food and school fee subsidies. They reported that of the Karakoram Highway and six bridges were destroyed. Frontier Works Organization blasted the spillway of the lake first on 27 March 2012 and then on 15 May 2012, lowering the lake's water level by at least . == Karakoram Highway realignment ==