- KP’s Adviser to CM says Rs3 billion released for the ongoing operations and around 6,000 personnel deployed as part of rescue efforts
- The flood-ravaged Baltistan Highway reopened for all kinds of traffic: GBDMA
- Balochistan reported 22 deaths and nine injured in the province as a result of monsoon rain and flooding since June 28
- Several Punjab cities receive heavy rain over past 24 hours, with PDMA forecasting more showers
PESHAWAR/ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: Heavy monsoon rains and catastrophic flooding have left at least 358 people dead in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), with widespread damage to infrastructure and ongoing relief operations as authorities warn the current rain cycle may continue through August 21, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority said on Tuesday.
In its report, the PDMA said that record rains started in KP on August 15, have wreaked havoc across the province, prompting an emergency as torrential rains ravaged homes, displaced families, and left a trail of destruction across Buner, Swat, Shangla, Mansehra, and beyond.
According to the latest data from the KP PDMA, 358 people have died in rain-related incidents since August 15, with Buner reporting the highest toll at 225. Another 181 people were injured, while the dead included 287 men, 41 women, and 30 children.
Buner was the worst-hit district in the province, where flash flooding and building collapses left 225 people dead, including 193 men, 23 women and nine children, according to the report. Another 120 people sustained injuries.
Following Buner, Shangla district reported 36 deaths from flash floods, while 22 fatalities were recorded in Mansehra, another 22 in Bajaur, and 20 in Swat, where both flash flooding and infrastructure damage claimed lives.
Flash flooding in the KP’s Swabi district also left 17 dead, according to the PDMA.
Due to separate roof collapse incidents, five people died in Lower Dir, and another two people lost their lives in Noshewra.
Abbotabad, Torghar, and South Waziristan recorded one death each, the report noted.
According to the PDMA data, the total number of houses damaged throughout the province was 780, out of which 349 were completely destroyed and another 431 sustained partial damage. Buner suffered the most damage, leaving 162 houses destroyed.
The number of cattle that perished was 427.
“It has been forecasted that the current cycle of rains to continue intermittently until August 21,” KP PDMA Spokesperson Anwer Shahzad said in a statement.
He said the authority had directed district administrations to intensify relief activities and provide immediate assistance to the victims.
“The public is advised to contact PDMA’s helpline at 1700 in case of any emergency or weather update,” Shahzad added.
Relief efforts underway
KP’s Adviser to the Chief Minister, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, in a statement, detailed the relief efforts, saying rescue teams are fully engaged in flood-affected districts.
An amount of Rs3 billion has been released for the ongoing operations, he said, adding that around 6,000 personnel are currently deployed as part of the rescue efforts.
“A total of 5,210 people have been safely evacuated, he added.
Additionally, Barrister Saif said a mobile application has been launched to issue financial compensation to the affected families.
“One hundred and seventy-six (176) rescue centres have been established and at least 100 roads, previously severed due to floods, have now been cleared and restored,” he said.
According to Barrister Saif, five army helicopters and one provincial helicopter were involved in the rescue efforts.
He detailed that the provincial government has delivered 89 trucks of relief items to the flood-hit districts, and more trucks are scheduled to be dispatched today.
He added that 2800 tents, 6100 mattresses, 2700 hygiene kits and 4300 kitchen sets have been distributed in the impacted areas. Additionally, 3100 tarpaulins, 7400 mosquito nets, 6800 blankets, and 500 gas cylinders were distributed.
“Two hundred and eighty-nine (289) medical camps have been set up as well,” he said.
Barrister Saif shared that around 822 cases of infectious diseases have been reported so far, for which people are receiving treatment at the medical relief camps.
Separately, in a bid to support the flood victims, the KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has decided to donate his one-month salary, cabinet ministers have donated their 15-day salary, while assembly members will donate their seven-day salary, Barrister Saif said.
“Officers above grade 17 have donated their two-day salary, while government employees from grade 1 to 16 have donated one day’s salary to the flood victims.”
Baltistan Highway reopened for traffic
Separately, the flood-ravaged Baltistan Highway was reopened for all kinds of traffic, according to Shahzad Baig, officer of the Gilgit Baltistan Disaster Management Authority (GBDMA).
He said, “The Baltistan Highway, which was blocked six days ago due to the bridge being washed away following severe flooding in the Istak Nullah, was restored with the joint efforts of the Pakistan Army and GBDMA.”
A large number of mountaineers, tourists and passengers had been stranded due to the week-long closure of the highway, he added.
On Saturday, GB Home Minister Shams Lone said that the Baltistan Highway bridge had been swept away, cutting off four districts of Baltistan from Gilgit.
“As soon as the highway was opened, oil tankers and trucks loaded with other necessities of life left for Skardu,” Baig added.
A resident of Skardu, Qasim Butt, said that the closure of the highway caused a shortage of petrol and food items in the four districts, which worried the locals.
“A day before the Istak Nullah, the Baltistan Highway was closed due to the Baghicha RCC bridge being washed away in the flood. However, traffic flow was maintained by creating an alternative route,” he said, adding that the highway was now fully reopened.
22 killed in Balochistan since June 28
Balochistan’s PDMA reported that 22 people have been killed and nine injured in the province as a result of monsoon rain and flooding since June 28, including two killed and one injured in Harnai yesterday due to a roof collapse.
Of the remaining casualties, four people were killed and two injured in Zhob, six killed and one injured in Khuzdar, four killed in Duki, one in Ziarat, two killed and four injured in Musakhail, one killed and one injured in Kohlu, and one each in Lasbela and Loralai.
During this period, 83 houses were reported damaged across the province, including 14 completely destroyed, along with four cases of damage to public property. The PDMA also reported that 357 solar panels were damaged in Dera Bugti.
The National Highway Authority said that work had started on the restoration of the bridge.
Authorities placed on high alert in Punjab
Meanwhile, several cities in Punjab also received heavy rain over the last 24 hours, with PDMA forecasting more showers, expected to last until August 23, according to a spokesperson of the Punjab PDMA.
“In the last 24 hours, 95mm of rain was recorded in Noorpur Thal, 93mm in Faisalabad, 73mm in Murree and 68mm in Rahim Yar Khan,” the statement said, adding that Bhakkar received 67mm of rain, Kot Addu 60mm, Attock 34mm, Gujranwala 28mm, Rajanpur 25mm, Dera Ghazi Khan 21mm, and Mangla receiving 17mm of rain.
According to the spokesperson, heavy rain was expected in Lahore, Gujrat, Sialkot, Toba Tek Singh, Mandi Bahauddin, DG Khan, Bahawalpur, and Mianwali today.
Rawalpindi, Murree, Galiat, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Multan, and Sahiwal were also expected to receive rain.
The spokesperson warned of the risk of flooding in the rivers and canals of low-lying areas as a result of the rain, as well as landslides in mountainous regions such as Murree.
He advised tourists to remain cautious in light of the weather situation and urged citizens to take precautionary measures.
PDMA’s provincial control room and district emergency centers have been placed on high alert, the spokesperson added.
Director General, Punjab PDMA, Irfan Ali Kathi, also directed relevant district administrations to remain on high alert in case of an emergency. He instructed concerned district officers to remain in the field to oversee relief efforts.
