Death toll breaches 1,030 mark as floods wreak havoc

Floods continued to devastate the country on Sunday, particularly the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Balochistan leaving at least 119 people dead and more than 70 injured in the past 24 hours.

Floods have claimed over 1,030 lives, with 74 deaths reported in Sindh, 31 in K-P, six in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), four in Balochistan, and one in Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

According to the data released by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), 32 children, 56 men and nine women are among those who died in the flood after the rains, while the number of victims has reached 5.77 million.

Read Pakistan floods force tens of thousands from homes overnight

Over the past 24 hours, nearly 0.95 million houses and 0.72 million livestock were flooded while 0.27 million houses were destroyed and 3,116 kilometres of highways and 149 bridges were washed away.

According to sources, 0.49 million people in Sindh, 0.45 million in Punjab, and 0.36 million in Balochistan have been affected by floods.

UAE plane carrying relief goods lands in Rawalpindi

On the appeal of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, a plane carrying relief goods for the flood affected people of Pakistan from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has landed at Nur Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi.

The relief goods include tents, food items, medicines and other essential goods.

UAE Ambassador to Pakistan and Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal received the relief goods at the airport.

It is pertinent to mention that 15 more planes carrying relief goods will reach Pakistan in coming days on the instructions of UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Meanwhile, two ships carrying relief goods from Turkiye are expected to arrive in Karachi tomorrow [Monday]. The Turkish Consul General in Karachi will hand over the relief goods to the Pakistani authorities at the airport tomorrow morning.

Telephone network restored in Quetta

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) announced on Sunday that various private mobile network services had been restored in the provincial capital of Balochistan, while efforts were underway “to restore services in other affected areas”.

Earlier this week, as the unprecedented vicious attacks triggered by climate change had continued unabated, leaving many marooned, the environmental crisis had robbed Balochistan of digital connectivity after almost cutting it off from the rest of the country physically.

Read More PM to visit flood-hit Jaffarabad district to review relief activities

Already battered by flash floods, the province had lost communication with the rest of the country after overnight rains as the country struggles to cope with the humanitarian disaster, officials had said on Friday.

The destruction of infrastructure and breakdown in communication links adds to the difficulties faced by the authorities in rescue and relief efforts in the region.

The air, road and rail networks in Balochistan are already suspended, cutting it off from the rest of the country. "Due to torrential rains and flash floods in Balochistan optical fiber cable, voice and data services have been impacted in Quetta and [the] rest of the main cities of the province," Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA) had said on Twitter.

Pakistan Army rescue and relief efforts continue

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in an update on flood situation that light to moderate rains were recorded across the country with Malam Jabba receiving maximum 58mm of rain.

“Currently River Jhelum, Ravi, Chenab and Sutlej are flowing Normal, while River Indus is at high flood level at Attock, Chasma, Taunsa and Sukkur,” the military’s media wing said in a statement.

It added that medium flood level was recorded at Kalabagh, Guddu and Kotri while low flood level at Tarbela. “River Kabul is at very high flood level at Naushera and high flood level at Warsak and River Sawat is at high flood level at Amandara and Munda.”

The ISPR said so far 62 helicopter sorties have been conducted in flood affected areas across the country for rescue and relief operation. 

Seven army helicopters (MI-17, Puma & Bell-412) conducted 20 sorties, evacuated 246 stranded individuals and delivered 14.712 tons of ration/relief items duration the last 24 hours, read the statement.

The military distributed as many as 7,845 ration packets and 1,600 tents among flood victims across the county during the same period while 29,205 patients have been treated in various medical camps so far.

Army Flood Relief Coordination Centre is functioning under Headquarters Army Air Defence Command with a mandate to coordination rescue and relief efforts in synchronisation with stakeholders at military level.

“217 relief items collection points have been established in all Formations Area of Responsibility for collection and onwards distribution of relief items,” the ISPR said.