Over 109 people have been killed and 46 injured so far as floods gained intensity around the country, including Chitral that faced a fresh batch of flash floods, according to the NDMA on Saturday.
The NDMA said that around 50 have been killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while another 14 have died in Balochistan after torrential rains.
Flooding in Punjab claimed 21 people and so far over 298,185 people have been caught in the floods. Over 397 villages have suffered damage with 550 homes getting destroyed. Rain-related incidents have seen at least 19 people and five others injured in Azad Kashmir. As many as 189 houses have been damaged while seven villages have been affected.
On Saturday, the NDMA also issued a fresh glacial lake overflow flood (GLOF) warning. Floods have affected as many as 136,000 people in the region with 653 houses damaged and 175 villages affected.Over 7,000 were affected while 2,705 houses were damaged.
SINDH FLOODS
Meanwhile, the Sindh government has requested the army to remain on standby following reports of floods gaining strength in the province.
Chairing a meeting on Saturday, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah directed Chief Secretary Mohammad Siddique Memon to write a letter to the army regarding the issue.
“Medium flooding had been predicted, but unremitting rains water gushing from Koh Suleman Mountains has deteriorated the situation and there is high flooding at Guddu Barrage, where more than 0.7 million cusec water is passing through,” an official said during the meeting, which was attended by representatives of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).
“River Indus at Sukkur is also likely to attain high to very high flood level ranging between 650,000 cusecs to 750,000 cusecs during the period from noon on August 2, 2015 to midnight of August 4, 2015.”
The meeting was also informed that over 250,000 people (264,854) and 1,255 villages have been affected because of floods across Sindh. The chief minister asked PDMA officials to make necessary arrangement for flood victims by providing them food, tent and other necessary items.
“Rs 5 million should be released to each deputy commissioner without any delay so that these arrangements can be made,” he said.
Director General PDMA Salam Shah said more than 200 tents have been provided to victims, while medical camps have also been set up.
“The chief minister also visited Guddu Barrage to assess the arrangements.”
A CM House spokesperson said the chief minister would hold a meeting with irrigation officials at Guddu and visit Tori Bund, Sukkur Barrage and Shenk Bund.
CHITRAL HIT AGAIN
Another round of flash floods on Saturday battered most parts of the already vulnerable area of Chitral, including Kalash Valley.
Homes, roads, crops and much more was destroyed during the floods. The worst catastrophe being the Bumburate area’s Bashalani, a traditional maternity home, being swept away in the waters and taking women and children along with them. However, the women and children were moved to safety before any real damage was done.
Five hotels, including one of the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC), were destroyed, while the waters lay waste to several shops and crops in the area.
Baranis, Mroy, Gahirat, Zaini, Singor, and Mozhgol in Chitral were all affected by the floods.
Heavy rains began late last night, triggering flash floods that damaged 15 houses, link roads and bridges in Khot area of sub-division Mustuj, and compelled local residents to leave their homes for safety.
Roads leading to the Kurah area were destroyed which caused problems for people who were trying to access basic necessities such as medication, food, etc. Major roads leading to the areas are no longer accessible, which has great exacerbated the problem.
Since the flooding in Chitral began two weeks ago over 32 people have died.
The PDMA has reported that council Mulkhow and sub-divion Mustuj have been the worst hit with over 23 deaths.
Around 3,600 cattle have died in the district up till now.
Published in Pakistan Today - 4 Aug 2015
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