ISLAMABAD: No letup insight as record rains, flash floods, landslides continued to pile miseries on flood-affected population as six more dams have swept away in Balochistan, taking the tally to 50 broken dams in the province, while death toll from the ongoing catastrophe has crossed 1,000, according to the data released by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Saturday night.
In the last 24 hours, close to 119 people died and 71 were injured across the country.
According to details, heavy floods washed away six more dams in Quetta, Mastung and Ziarat late on Saturday, taking the tally of destroyed dams to fifty in Balochistan.
Around 19 dams were washed away in Qilla Abdullah and Chaman and several link roads were destroyed due flash flooding in the area. The Rachkai dam was also damaged a few days ago.
At least 110 districts of Pakistan have been hit by the floods with 72 of those districts declared calamity hit. Pakistan’s 30-year average showed that the country has received 134mm of rain and this year it received 388.7mm of rain. 190.07% more than the average, NDMA said.
As per NDMA a total of 1033 people, including 238 from Balochistan, 226 from KPK, and 38 from Azaad Kashmir have lost their lives to floods since mid-June.
A total of 456 men, 207 women and 348 children have been reported dead, while another 1527 people have suffered injuries, they added.
As per the data one death was reported from Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), four from Balochistan, six in Gilgit Baltistan, 31 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 76 in Sindh during the last 24 hours. 71 people suffered injuries in the same period, the NDMA said.
662446 homes were damaged, while another 287412 homes have been completely demolished in the country due to floods and rainfall. Over 7,19,558 cattle have also been reported dead amid the calamity, NDMA added.
The NDMA’s latest sit rep shows 5,773,063 people have been affected by the floods. However, it clarified that the data in today’s sitrap was based on confirmed figures but its estimates showed that more than 33 million of population has been affected by the floods.
Cumulative data from June 14 from across Pakistan showed that 3,451.5kms of road has been damaged, and 149 bridges have collapsed, 170 shops destroyed.
Multiple highways including the N-25 Highway in Balochistan, and N-70 from Loralai to Dera Ghazi Khan, Natlar, Ghazar, Shandor, and Shashpar Valley roads in Gilgil Baltistan have been closed due to flood-related incidents.
Moreover, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said that the federal government had allocated a grant of Rs38 billion to support each flood-affected family with a disbursement of Rs25,000.
Speaking to the flood-affected people, the prime minister said he had already announced a grant of Rs15 billion to Sindh province while the distribution of flood relief amount among each family had commenced in Sindh province after Balochistan under Benazir Income Support Program (BISP). BISP had the complete data, ensuring prompt and justified distribution among the deserving families, he added.
Assuring the provincial governments of the federal government’s support, the prime minister said others provinces would also be extended with such grants. The prime minister was accompanied by Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah, federal ministers and other relevant authorities.