Heavy losses due to rain in Pakistan.Image Credit Source: AP
Torrential rains and sudden floods in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) within the last 24 hours have caused heavy havoc. According to officials, at least 154 people have died in this disaster, while a large number of people are missing. The most affected Khyber is the Pakhtunkhwa province, where cloudburst and strong flow have caused loss of life and infrastructure in many districts.
Local administration said that 75 people have died in Buner district, 17 in Manshehra and 18-18 in Bajaur and Batagram districts. Five people died and four were injured in Lower Dir, four in Swat and one person in Shangla have been confirmed.
Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) spokesman Faizi on Friday told PTI-language that more than 125 people, including children, died in torrential rains and floods from Thursday night. He warned that due to the high number of missing people, the figure of the dead may increase further.
Relief and rescue operation intensified
Search and rescue operations are going on under the leadership of Bajaur District Emergency Officer (DEO) Amjad Khan. Pakistani army teams are also active in flood affected areas of Swat and Bajaur, where people from submerged areas are being transported to safe places. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Amin Ali Gandapur has directed to put all available resources in relief work.
Eight people died and two others went missing in a sudden flood in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Ghejar district. The floods were washed away by more than a dozen houses, many vehicles, schools and health centers. Tourists were taken to safe places in the Neelam Valley, while more than 600 tourists trapped near Ratti Gali lake were advised to stay there due to the breakdown of the contact route.
Bridge and house swept away, the situation is serious
Three bridges were washed away due to the boom of Lawat Nalla and Jagran Nalla. A part of the road was damaged and dozens of vehicles were trapped due to cloudburst in Palhot area of Jhelum Valley. Six members of the same family were buried in the debris in a landslide in Sarli Sacha village of Muzaffarabad district, who are feared to be killed. In Sudhanoti district, a young man died due to flowing in a drain and a woman in Bagh district died.
According to the National Disaster Management Authority, more than 325 people have died across the country since the onset of monsoon, including 142 children. There is a danger of floods, landslides and displacement in sensitive and densely populated areas, while the Meteorological Department has issued a warning of heavy rain for the next few days.
