The flood crisis deepens

PAKISTAN: Relief efforts are underway as the floods continue to devastate and ravage various parts of the country.

Torrential rains in flood-hit areas have hampered the rescue efforts, threatening to deepen a crisis affecting 15 million people in the country's worst ever floods.

Fresh downpours have halted the rescue operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The United Nations estimates at least 1,600 people have been killed, while 1.4 million children have been affected by the floods.

According to latest estimates at least 650,000 homes have been destroyed, while 5,500 square kilometres of farmland is under water.

Sindh

Floods continue to wreak havoc in Interior Sindh, as seven people have died so far in different districts of the province.

Flood water has been rising in Guddu and Sukkur barrage, which is moving towards the populated area in Kandh Kot.

In Ghotki, a five year old girl has been swept away in flood water, while two children have died of gastro-related problems.

Moreover, two people have died of snake bites in Kacha area of Khairpur, while two people have died and seven injured when roof of a house collpased in Dadu.

Meanwhile, evacuation has started in more than 30 villages around Dadu-Moro bridge and thousands of people in Saleh Pat have left their houses for safer places.

Efforts to strengthen dykes have also been expedited as water level is increasing in the Kotri barrage. Flooding in Kotri barrage has affected dozens of villages and destroyed crops spreading over hundreds of acres.

According to U.N. officials, up to a million people have been evacuated in Sindh, where those in low-lying areas near the Indus are most vulnerable.

Punjab

A flood torrent of about 1.2 million cusecs has reached Bhong city by demolishing a protective embankment.

A historical mosque in Bhong is also in danger. The local administration is trying to shift people to safe places.

People who had to leave their houses in a hurry have been forced to spend the night under the open sky. The flood entered the city early this morning and hit most parts of it.

It is feared that the flood may reach Kamu Shah from Sadiqabad by cutting the Guddu-Kashmore road.

The army helicopter rescued 15 people stranded by the floods last night. It is still busy in rescuing 400 people marooned in Sonmiany.

Eight people including three police officers have been injured after two groups clashed during a distribution of relief goods at Mehmood Kot.

Police had attempted to control the violence between the groups upon which people hurled stones at them

The police baton charged people in an attempt to quell the unrest.

Residents of Mehmood Kot have shown dissatisfaction over the distribution of flood relief goods saying that the goods are not reaching their area.

Around 85 flood victims from Muzaffargarh have taken shelter in the Green Town area of Lahore.

The victims arrived in Lahore after their homes and livestock were swept away by floods in the Kot Addu area of Muzaffargarh.

They said that the government has provided no assistance to them and they reached Lahore on their own. They demand that the government help them in rebuilding their homes.

Balochistan

As the water level is rising in Suhbatpur area of Balochistan, the army is shifting people stranded in the region to safer zones.

Dozens of villages have been affected after a breach in the Haer Din drainage system.

In district Loralai, water has entered residential areas as a breach occured in the dike at Dargai Sargarh.

Affected people from the area are being moved to relief camps. Affectees from Jacobabad, Shikarpur and Kandhkot are being moved to Jafferabad.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Heavy rains in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA have once again raised water level in the rivers.

Heavy rains have hit Nowshera, Charsadda, Swat, Upper Dir, Lower Dir, DI Khan and different parts of FATA.

A high level flood has been recorded in Kabul, Adaizai, Kurrum and Jandy rivers.

A bridge at Khayali River has been closed due to heavy flooding.

About 60 houses have collapsed in different areas of the province and many link bridges have been severed off by the rains.

This comes as Bannu city has been completely cut off from its nearby areas after the Leera bridge collapsed.

The monsoon rains and floods in Bannu have forced hundreds of people to flee but they are marooned, after the bridge was destroyed.

Meanwhile, water has entered Surani, Kot Daim, Kot Adil, Shamsi Khel and other areas.

Weather experts have predicted at least two more days of rain in the province, thus, adding to the misery of the millions made homeless.

Gilgit-Baltistan

Landsliding claimed the lives of 56 people in Skardu and Ghanchay.

In the Kamra area of Skardu 40 people have been killed, and 20 bodies have been recovered so far.

In another incident of landsliding in Talas area of Ghanchay 16 people have died, while several houses have been destroyed.

Meanwhile, floods have destroyed 30 houses in Gulabpur area of Shagar, while three houses have been destroyed in Shagar Khas.

Moreover, Gilgit-Skardu Road has been closed for traffic due to flood in River Indus.