At least 358 people died as a result of heavy flooding and downpour in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the last three days, while rehabilitation efforts are still underway as the province recovers from the record deluge, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority said on Tuesday.
Record rains in KP, which started on August 15, have wreaked havoc across the province. Last week, the provincial government declared an emergency as torrential rains ravaged homes, displaced families, and left a trail of destruction across Buner, Swat, Shangla, Mansehra, and beyond.
According to the latest data from the KP PDMA, 358 people have died in rain-related incidents since August 15, with Buner reporting the highest toll at 225. Another 181 people were injured, while the dead included 287 men, 41 women and 30 children.
Buner was the worst-hit district in the province, where flash flooding and building collapses left 225 people dead, including 193 men, 23 women and nine children, according to the report. Another 120 people sustained injuries.
Following Buner, Shangla district reported 36 deaths from flash floods, while 22 fatalities were recorded in Mansehra, another 22 in Bajaur, and 20 in Swat, where both flash flooding and infrastructure damage claimed lives.
Flash flooding in the KP’s Swabi district also left 17 dead, according to the PDMA.
Due to separate roof collapse incidents, five people died in Lower Dir, and another two people lost their lives in Noshewra.
Abbotabad, Torghar, and South Waziristan recorded one death each, the report noted.
According to the PDMA data, the total number of houses damaged throughout the province was 780, out of which 349 were completely destroyed and another 431 sustained partial damage. Buner suffered the most damage, leaving 162 houses destroyed.
The number of cattle that perished was 427.
“It has been forecasted that the current cycle of rains to continue intermittently until August 21,” KP PDMA Spokesperson Anwer Shahzad said in a statement.
He said the authority had directed district administrations to intensify relief activities and provide immediate assistance to the victims.
“The public is advised to contact PDMA’s helpline at 1700 in case of any emergency or weather update,” Shahzad added.
Relief efforts underway
KP’s Adviser to the Chief Minister, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, in a statement, detailed the relief efforts, saying rescue teams are fully engaged in flood-affected districts.
An amount of Rs3 billion has been released for the ongoing operations, he said, adding that around 6,000 personnel are currently deployed as part of the rescue efforts.
“A total of 5,210 people have been safely evacuated, he added.
Additionally, Barrister Saif said a mobile application has been launched to issue financial compensation to the affected families.
“One hundred and seventy-six (176) rescue centres have been established and at least 100 roads, previously severed due to floods, have now been cleared and restored,” he said.
According to Barrister Saif, five army helicopters and one provincial helicopter were involved in the rescue efforts.
He detailed that the provincial government has delivered 89 trucks of relief items to the flood-hit districts, and more trucks are scheduled to be dispatched today.
He added that 2800 tents, 6100 mattresses, 2700 hygiene kits and 4300 kitchen sets have been distributed in the impacted areas. Additionally, 3100 tarpaulins, 7400 mosquito nets, 6800 blankets, and 500 gas cylinders were distributed.
“Two hundred and eighty-nine (289) medical camps have been set up as well,” he said.
Barrister Saif shared that around 822 cases of infectious diseases have been reported so far, for which people are receiving treatment at the medical relief camps.
Separately, in a bid to support the flood victims, the KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has decided to donate his one-month salary, cabinet ministers have donated their 15-day salary, while assembly members will donate their seven-day salary, Barrister Saif said.
“Officers above grade 17 have donated their two-day salary, while government employees from grade 1 to 16 have donated one day’s salary to the flood victims.”
