Army rescues 164 people in Chitral

ISLAMABAD: Army troops rescued 164 people displaced by floods in different areas of Chitral as relief operations continued across the country on Friday.

Heavy monsoon rains have triggered floods in the northern areas of Pakistan, displacing hundreds of thousands of people. Overflowing rivers have also wreaked havoc in Punjab, affecting thousands of families.

The military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said that soldiers continued flood relief and rescue operations in Chitral, Gilgit-Baltistan and southern Punjab. In Chitral, 17.5 tons of ration were distributed and 164 affected people flown to safer places by two MI-17 helicopters from Rambur, Kurggh, Birri, Bumboret and Chashma. The road link to Chitral (N-45) was restored for all types of traffic, whereas the road between Chitral and Buni has been opened for light traffic only. Work is in progress on the Chitral-Bubmoret and Buni-Masting roads.

In Gilgit-Baltistan, 40km of damaged roads in the Astore district have been repaired while the restoration of roads in Hunza, Sakardu, Khaplu and Ghanche districts is in progress. Four medical camps have been established at Shiger, Khaplu and Hunza, where cooked food is being provided to families in tents.

In southern Punjab, 71 more people were rescued at Jhakr Imam in DG Khan while boats with lifejackets have been employed at all likely flood-prone places in Rajanpur, Muzzafargarh and Layyah. Two medical camps have also been established at Rajanpur and Layyah.

In the past two days, troops in collaboration with civil administration have evacuated 13,893 people in Rahim Yar Khan, Sadiqabad, Khanpur and Liaquatpur.


Published in The Express Tribune, July 25^th, 2015.