Floods threaten Moenjodaro

The floods are now threatening archeological sites of Moenjodaro and Aamri, an antiquities official said Monday.

SUKKUR: The devastating floods are now threatening ancient archeological sites of Moenjodaro and Aamri, on top of leaving millions of people dependent on humanitarian aid to survive, an antiquities official said Monday.

Flood waters in the southern province of Sindh have inundated hundreds of villages and also threaten its cultural heritage.

"There is danger to the 5,000-year-old Moenjodaro and Aamri archeological sites," said Karim Lashari, chief of the provincial antiquities department.

Moenjodaro is on Unesco's list of the world heritage sites. The city was built of unbaked brick in the third millennium BC and provides evidence of an early system of town planning.

Aamri, in the Dadu district of Sindh, has been declared a Pakistani national heritage site.

"Aamri is exposed to greater danger because the river Indus flows along this ancient town. There is also a major canal and any overflow of water there would submerge this town," he said.

"There is already pressure on its banks and danger is severe."