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SWAT: At least 15 people, mostly women and children, were killed on Saturday, and dozens others injured as heavy rains and flooding caused landslides in Swat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Swat Assistant Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Abrar Wazir said in the flash floods have destroyed almost 130-kilometer road network. As many as 15 connecting bridges were completely or partially destroyed in the floods.
15 people, including women and children, lost their lives rain-related incidents, ADC said.
More than 100 houses and other buildings destroyed by flood water while almost 50 hotels and restaurants were also swept away. “More teams were formed to assess further damage”, ADC Abrar Wazir added.
Late on Friday night, Munda Headworks Bridge had collapsed putting Charsada, Nowshera at high risk of flooding.
The incident took place around 11pm near Charsadda district. Charsadda, Nowshehra, and adjoining areas are at an extreme risk of flooding following the collapse of the bridge.
Also read: Munda Headworks bridge collapses, putting Charsadda, Nowshera at risk of flooding
The Munda Headworks Bridge is one of the main barrages to control the water of the river Swat, situated in Charsadda. The development has created an alarming situation for District Nowshera.
Local authorities have advised the people of Charsada to take precautionary measures following the possibility of flash floods hitting the city in the next few hours.
Floodwater has destroyed half of the Munda Headworks, sweeping away two Discharge Control sections, Deputy Commissioner Nowshera Mir Reza Ozgen tweeted on Saturday. The torrent of flood water is fast headed to Nowshera, the deputy commissioner warned.
Meanwhile, at least 11 people swept away in a flash flood in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Lower Kohistan, district, local authorities said on Friday.
District Police Officer (DPO) Lower Kohistan, Zulfiqar Jadoon, informed the reporter that three more children and four women were also killed due to floods in other areas.
Pakistan decides to reach out to friendly countries
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said the government decided to reach out to friendly countries and donors as flash floods and the torrential rains devastated more than 33 million people across the country.
The prime minister, who convened a meeting of select Islamabad-based ambassadors, high commissioners and other senior members of the diplomatic corps, to brief them on flood situation, said the ongoing monsoon spell has caused unprecedented damage and devastation in Pakistan.
Abnormal rains have triggered flash floods and wreaked havoc across Pakistan since June, affecting more than 33 million people, according to climate change minister Sherry Rehman, who called the situation a “climate-induced humanitarian disaster of epic proportions”.
The scale of devastation can be gauged by these numbers released by National Disaster Management Authority. The death toll from recent rains and floods has reached 937 while 1,343 have been injured.
Moreover, the Interior Ministry has approved the deployment of the Pakistan Army owing to a flood emergency. Pakistan Army troops will be deployed in all four provinces to help the civil government in the relief operation.
The government decided to deploy the army in all provinces to help the civilian authorities in rescue operations in the calamity-hit areas.
At present, more than half of Pakistan is under water and millions of people have been rendered homeless as a result of flash flooding generated by abnormal monsoon rains which have entered their eighth spell with no signs of subsiding.
A notification issued to this effect said that the exact number of troops and area of deployment will be worked out by the respective provincial governments in consultation with the military operations directorate and General Headquarters.
“…The date of de-requisitioning of said deployment will be decided subsequently after mutual consultation among all stakeholders,” the notification read.
