ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) – Death toll from due to heavy rains and flash floods in Chitral valley rose to 32 on Sunday as seven more people lost their lives during the last 24 hours, official sources have confirmed.
Floods triggered by torrential rains continue to wreak havoc in the area, washing away bridges, roads houses and cattle in various villages.
Earlier this week, a report prepared by Chitral District Commissioner Amin ul Haq said over 350,000 people had been stranded in different parts of the mountainous region.
Read more: Nearly 300,000 displaced by floods in Chitral
According to the report, at least 161 houses have been completely destroyed while 45 have been partially damaged in Chitral. Crop fields spanning more than 1,200 acres has also been destroyed, while 61 water supply schemes have also been irreparably damaged.
The flood has also washed away as many as 180 buildings including houses, shops and hotels in Chitral while damaging another 15 bridges and 12 roads.
The Pakistan Army has evacuated over 250 people stranded in Kalash Valley’s Sub Division Mastoj.
The floods have rendered thousands of people homeless, forcing them to leave under the open skies amid the surging water levels in rivers, nullahs and other water resources.
Local administration, the Pak-Army and the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) have been carrying out relief and rescue operation in the area. Besides the relief operation repair work on bridges and roads also continues in the affected areas.
Governor and Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan visited parts of flood affected areas on Sunday, announcing Rs50,000 aid for each family.
Meanwhile senior army officers, on the orders of Commander Southern Command Lieutenant General Nasir Janjua, visited flood affected areas of Balochistan along with officials from civil administration of the province.
The army expressed its resolve not to leave flood victims alone in the hour of adversity. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA ) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has issued a flood warning in nullah Badhni after heavy rains lashed the province.
According to reports, floodwater is posing serious threats to Muzaffargarh area in Punjab and Ghotki in Sindh. Local administration in Ghotki has setup a camp for the affected people.
Every year since 2010, which saw the worst floods in Pakistan’s history, the country has experienced serious inundations that kill hundreds and wipe out millions of acres of prime farmland, harming the heavily agrarian economy.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has also announced an aid package of Rs500 million for flood relief activities in Chitral.
The prime minister took an aerial view of the flood affected areas on Wednesday, and was briefed about the damages caused by rains and floods in the area.
Read more: PM Nawaz arrives in Chitral to visit flood hit areas
He also ordered for damage assessment of the destroyed houses in the region.
The prime minister said owners of houses, which are completely destroyed, would be compensated with Rs0.5 million, and amount for the partially damaged house would be determined separately.
The Meteorological department office has predicted widespread rains in the country during the next five days.
