Floods claim 207 lives to date: NDMA

Moreover it is estimated that 1,378,082 people across the country have been affected by the floods so far

Sehrish Wasif August 15, 2015

PHOTO: EXPRESS

ISLAMABAD:

The ongoing floods have claimed five more lives in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 207. Of these, 49 are children and 63 women, according to National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

According to the preliminary report compiled by the NDMA, 33 children have been reportedly killed in Punjab and 16 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) in the ongoing flooding.

Moreover it is estimated that 1,378,082 people across the country have been affected by the floods so far.

Dr Ghulam Rasul, Director-General Met Office, said that light to moderate monsoon rains have already started in Balochsitan and Sindh provinces. This will continue for some time in other parts of the country as well.

“Though currently the situation is under control and there are no chances of heavy rain in the next few days, it does not mean that we can rule out the possibility of floods in the coming days,” he said.

Half of the monsoon season has passed and half is left as it will come to an end in September, he said.

Till then there could be heavy rain at any place which could generate floods, he observed.

Flood warning

According to latest Meteorological and Hydrological conditions observed by Flood Forecasting Division Lahore, River Indus at Kotri is likely to attain high flood level. Water is expected to range between 450,000 cusecs to 550,000 cusecs till August 18.

Snake bite

According to Met Office this year so far over 500 millimeter rain has been recorded in Tharparkar and more is expected till September.

Meanwhile there has been an increase in the incidents of snake bite in Tharparkar. The number of snakes often increased after heavy rain in the area, according to the officials of district health department.

‘There have been 325 cases of snake bite incident reported in one month. Out of these 105 were reported in the Mithi local hospital,” said an official .of district health department Tharparkar while talking to The Express Tribune over phone.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15^th, 2015.