Peshawar/Islamabad | The death toll from the flash floods in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa rose to 327, including over a dozen children, over the last 48 hours, provincial authorities said on Saturday.
Across Pakistan, over the last 24 hours, 151 people have died, including 144 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province and seven in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
Since June 26, when the monsoon rains began, 645 people have been killed across the country with more than 50 per cent from the majorly hilly KPK province, the NDMA data said.
Torrential rains, which triggered flash floods in various districts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province since Thursday, are expected to continue intermittently until August 21, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).
PDMA Spokesman Faizi said that in the past 48 hours, 327 people were killed by the devastating rains, cloud bursts and flash floods in the province.
Buner district was the worst-affected with 204 lives lost in the past 48 hours, the PDMA situation report said, adding, the toll in the district increased as 20 bodies were recovered during the day in rescue operations.
Shangla district reported 36 deaths, followed by Mansehra with 23, Swat 22, Bajaur 21, Battagram 15, Lower Dir five, while a child drowned in Abbottabad.
Those killed included at least 15 women and 13 children.
At least 120 people were injured, the PDMA said. Deputy Commissioner Kashif Qayum Khan’s office said 50 people were still missing in the region.
Meanwhile, Army chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir issued special directives regarding relief and rehabilitation operations for flood-affected people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According to the directives, Pakistan Army troops deployed in the province will extend full support in the rehabilitation of flood victims, with additional contingents being dispatched to the affected areas.
The Pakistan army has dedicated one day’s salary of its personnel to the relief fund, while one day’s ration amounting to more than 600 tonnes has also been allocated for the flood-affected communities, the security forces said.
The army chief also instructed the Corps of Engineers to immediately repair damaged bridges and establish temporary crossings wherever required.
Army helicopters and aviation units were already engaged in relief and rehabilitation efforts across the flood-ravaged districts, and now, the army’s K-9 sniffer dog unit and a specialized Urban Search and Rescue team too have been deployed to the hardest-hit areas.
On Saturday, a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur reviewed the ongoing emergency situation.
A detailed briefing was given on losses as well as on rescue and relief operations in the affected districts.
The PDMA has been allocated Rs 1.5 billion for rescue, relief, and compensation payments, while the Communication Department has also been released Rs 1.5 billion for the restoration of roads and other damaged infrastructure.
Additionally, Rs 500 million has been provided to deputy commissioners for compensation payments to the families of those who lost their lives, officials said here.
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said that 151 people have been reported as dead during the last 24 hours.
Since June 26, when the monsoon rainfall began, 645 people have been killed, including 383 in KPK, 164 in Punjab, 28 in Sindh, 20 in Balochistan, eight in Islamabad capital region and 42 in PoK.
Another 905 have been injured, including 582 in Punjab, 232 in KPK, 40 in Sindh, four in Balochistan, three in Islamabad capital region and 44 in PoK.