Floods in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 314 Dead, 156 Injured, Rescue Operation Ongoing

Islamabad (The Uttam Hindu): Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Saturday declared a state of emergency after the devastation caused by the terrible floods. So far 314 people have died due to the floods, while 156 people are injured. Hundreds of families have been displaced. There has been major damage in Buner, Swat, Shangla and Mansehra. Even dozens of bodies are likely to be trapped in the debris.

According to the report, 209 deaths and 120 people were injured in Buner district alone, while Shangla reported 36 deaths and 21 injuries. A total of 24 deaths and five injuries were reported in Mansehra, while Bajaur also reported 21 deaths and five injuries. According to the PDMA report, 16 people were killed and two injured in Swat. Five people were killed while three were injured in Lower Dir due to lightning and roof collapse. Three people were also killed in Battagram due to lightning. A total of 159 houses were damaged, of which 62 were completely damaged. 57 schools were partially damaged in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to Buner Deputy Commissioner Office, machinery has been deployed in the affected areas.

According to reports, district officials and rescue teams have been dispatched to the affected places in Gokand and Peer Baba areas. In Swat, local authorities rescued two women and several school students safely. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rescue 1122 spokesman Bilal Ahmad Faizi told AFP that the rescue operation to rescue people trapped under the debris is ongoing. The chances of survival of those trapped under the rubble are very low. He further said that about 2,000 rescue workers are engaged in removing bodies from the rubble and carrying out relief operations in nine districts, where rain is still hampering rescue operations. According to the update of Buner Rescue 1122, more than 850 people have been rescued and shifted to safer places. 181 bodies have been recovered from Gaddiji, Bishoni, Malikpur, Balokhan and other affected areas of Buner. 30 people died in Buner's capital Daggar, Gokand, Kot and other districts, while 202 people, including women and children, were shifted to safer places. The Punjab PDMA has ordered a ban on the entry of tourists in Murree. A letter in this regard has been sent by the Punjab Revenue Board to the Secretary to the Punjab Government, Tourism Department, Rawalpindi Division Commissioner and Murree Deputy Commissioner. The government authority has also requested to restrict the entry of tourists to sensitive and risky sites till the current monsoon subsides, as well as coordinate with law enforcement agencies for restrictions under Section 144, wherever necessary.