Floods kill 169 people across Pakistan: NDMA

In total, 5,795 houses damaged, leaving over 900,000 people affected across Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Floods in different parts of Pakistan have left at least 169 people and injured 126 others, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said on Wednesday.

With high floods in the River Indus at Chashma, Taunsa, Guddu and Sukkur, very high at the latter two barrages, the raging waters have affected 917,719 people.

Giving a regional breakdown of the damage caused by the floods, the NDMA said at least 79 people were killed and 70 others were injured in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) — where Chitral is the worst hit region. As many as 3,320 houses have been damaged by the floods in the province.

Flooding in Punjab has left at least 48 dead where 368,863 people have been affected so far. As many as 2,025 houses have also been damaged with 496 villages being affected.

Rain related incidents caused deaths of at least 22 people and five have been injured in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) where 237 houses have been damaged in 17 villages.

Read: Army chief visits flood-hit areas, directs commanders to remain vigilant

Gilgit-Baltistan has also been hit by floods with seven reported deaths and six injuries so far with 136,000 people affected in 286 villages with over 800 houses damaged.

In Balochistan, at least 13 deaths were reported with 33 injuries with 798 houses damaged.

While no casualties were reported in Sindh, at least 2,097 villages have been affected so far because of heavy rains, and very high floods at Guddu and Sukkur barrages.



Flood victims of Katcha area of River Indus shift to safer places on August 5, 2015. PHOTO: APP

To date, in total, 5,795 houses have been damaged, leaving over 900,000 people affected.

Along with the provincial governments, the NDMA and country's armed forces are at the forefront in carrying out releif activities. At least 0.7 million people have been safely evacuated from areas across Pakistan.

Over 70,000 tents and ration packs weighing over 4,000 tonnes have also been distributed among the victims.

Further, more than 700 relief camps have been set up with 394 of them in Punjab, 329 in Sindh and six in G-B.

Army chief visits flood-hit areas of Chitral

Meanwhile, army chief General Raheel Sharif visited the flood-hit areas of Chitral on Wednesday.

According to DG ISPR Asim Bajwa, he directed the authorities concerned to continue with the relief work till flood receded, and also asked the FWO to maintain a link with the rest of the country.

Read: PM announces Rs1 billion for flood-hit victims in Sindh

#COAS visited Chitral floods.Directed to continue relief till flood recedes.FWO to maintain link with rest of country pic.twitter.com/VHFQstqsu7

— Gen(R) Asim Saleem Bajwa (@AsimBajwaISPR) August 5, 2015

During his visit, he was given a detailed briefing by the local military commanders on rescue and relief efforts by Pakistan Army, FWO and Frontier Corps.

 

On Monday, he had visited flood-hit Layyah district in Punjab and directed commanders to remain vigilant and employ all resources for a timely response to prevent casualties during the ongoing monsoon season.

On his visit to Ghotki on Tuesday, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced Rs1 billion relief package from the federal government for the rehabilitation of flood-affected areas of Sindh.