Over 222 killed as catastrophic rains, cloudburst wreck country’s northern areas
ISLAMABAD/LAHORE/PESHAWAR: Flash floods triggered by a “catastrophic wave of torrential rains and deadly cloudburst” on Friday wreaked havoc across the country’s northern areas with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa worst hit, claiming at least 222 people dead and dozens missing while a Pakistan Army helicopter carrying relief supplies tragically crashed, killing all five personnel on board, the officials confirmed.
In KP, the province-wide deaths included 184 men, 14 women and 12 children, with Buner reported the highest number of deaths, 91, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA)
The data added that 68 homes, three schools and 16 other structures were destroyed amid the deluge, with 49 homes being destroyed in Swat alone.
According to the PDMA report, 61 houses were partially destroyed and seven were completely destroyed.
The report added that heavy rain in the area is likely to continue intermittently until August 21
“On the special instructions of the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, relief funds have been released for the districts affected by rains and flash floods,” the report read.
“A total of Rs500 million has been released for the districts most affected by floods,” it added, stating that Rs150m has been released for Buner district, Rs100m each for Bajaur, Battagram and Mansehra districts and Rs50m for Swat
“The province, especially in the Malakand and Hazara regions, has been hit by terrible floods due to cloudbursts and rain,” he said. “As a result, many lives have been lost due to various accidents.
“Two helicopters of the provincial government were working to rescue people, but one of these helicopters met with a tragic accident due to bad weather. Five crew members were martyred.”
The CM outlined that the district administrations and all provincial government departments are actively engaged and “ensuring all measures to protect the lives and property of the people”
“The administration of the affected districts, as well as others, has also been put on high alert and safety measures are being taken,” he added. “Heavy machinery has been deployed in the affected areas for rescue operations and to clear blocked roads.”
Meanwhile, the KP Health Department declared a health emergency in the districts of Buner, Swat, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Bajaur and Mohmand and the establishment of flood control rooms and disease data-sharing centres in hospitals across the province
The notification declaring a health emergency in all hospitals in the aforementioned districts stated that the step had been taken “to prevent [the] outbreak of communicable diseases and effectively monitor risks to the health of the affected population”.
It added that all healthcare staff were to be put on high alert and cancel their leaves to ensure adequate staffing for the provision of healthcare to victims.
The second notification, addressed to all hospitals in KP, ordered the establishment of flood control rooms in order to ensure the availability of medicines and the functioning of medical equipment.
“In light of the anticipated rise in fatalities and injuries, as well as the increasing cases of both communicable and non-communicable diseases, you are requested to nominate a focal person from your district who will be responsible for providing daily updates to the health directorate,” the notification read.
