Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Big Digit) Floods in different districts, hundreds dead, Pak Army operation

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Big Digit) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Flood situation due to heavy rains due to cloudburst in different districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, hundreds dead. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has contacted the Chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and directed to expedite relief operations in the flood situation. The Prime Minister has said that all resources should be used to help and rescue the affected people, and relief operations should be taken forward in collaboration with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Army’s flood relief operation is ongoing in flood-affected Swat and Bajaur. Pakistan Army teams are engaged in relief activities in the affected districts, people are being shifted from flood-affected areas to safe places. People were rescued by helicopter in Bajaur, while ration and medicine are also being supplied by helicopter. As soon as the Pakistan Army teams arrived, slogans of “Long live the Pakistan Army” were raised. The Pakistan Army has made it clear that the operation will continue until all flood victims are safely rescued and shifted to safe places. The provincial government has declared mourning today. Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar says that Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has directed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to carry out full relief operations in Azad Kashmir and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and he is personally supervising the relief operations. The Prime Minister directed the Chairman NDMA to maintain constant communication with the provincial governments. A special cell has been set up in the Prime Minister’s House and 24-hour communication with the NDMA is maintained. The Prime Minister has visited the NDMA thrice and reviewed the relief and rescue measures. The Federal Minister said that the government’s focus is on relief and rescue measures and all the institutions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are mobilizing resources in rescue and relief operations. There are reports of around 40 people missing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, emergency measures are being taken to save human lives. The NDMA’s early warning system is providing regular information to the provinces and the NDMA’s command and control center is functional 24 hours a day. According to the report, more than 200 people have died and 25 have been injured in various accidents so far. 45 houses have been completely destroyed due to floods. Earlier, according to the spokesperson of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), 150 deaths have been reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the last 24 hours due to rains, floods, landslides and lightning strikes. The deceased include 128 men, 9 women and 13 children. 5 people have died in Gilgit and 9 people in Azad Kashmir due to heavy rains. 18 people have been injured in accidents due to rains in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to the initial report of the PDMA, 146 people have been killed and 15 injured in various accidents in the province so far. The dead include 126 men, 8 women and 12 children, while the injured include 12 men, 2 women and a child. As a result of the accidents, 35 houses were damaged, 7 houses were completely destroyed, while 28 houses were partially damaged.

According to the PDMA, the accidents occurred in the districts of Bajaur, Battagram, Torghar, Mansehra, Swat, Buner and Shangla. The most damage was caused in Bajaur and Battagram districts, where rescue operations are still ongoing. The current series of heavy rains is likely to continue intermittently until August 21. Heavy rains, destructive floods and strong winds have caused massive loss of life and property in different parts of Buner district, in which at least 157 people have died and an equal number of people have been injured. According to Rescue 1122, so far More than 157 bodies have been recovered, while more than 100 people, including women and children, have been rescued and shifted to safe places. Rescue operations are underway in the affected areas, with authorities trying to reach the stranded people and provide assistance. Deputy Commissioner Kashif Qayyum said that a state of emergency has been imposed in Buner district and relief operations are underway in the flood-affected areas. Rescue operations are being carried out in remote and difficult areas using helicopters. Floodwaters have covered the entire area in Pir Baba Bazaar and adjoining areas, while a mosque in Gokand was destroyed and a large number of livestock were killed. Several roads are still closed and the exact number of missing people is not yet known. Officials say that the actual figures will be known only when the floodwaters recede. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has expressed his heartfelt grief and sorrow over the loss of life and property due to heavy rain and floods after cloudbursts in Bajaur, Lower Dir, Mansehra, Buner, Swat. The Governor has expressed his condolences and heartfelt sympathy to the families of dozens of people who died. In view of the flood situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a notification has been issued to cancel the leaves of government employees. Government employees have been instructed to be ready at all times and must take prior permission for leave in any situation. Violation of this instruction will be considered negligence on the part of government employees.In the Salarzai Tehsil of Bajaur district, 21 people were killed due to lightning and cloudburst floods, of which 18 bodies have been recovered. The search for 3 people is ongoing, while 3 people were injured. One injured person has been shifted to Peshawar in critical condition. According to Bajaur Deputy Commissioner Shahid Ali, the deceased include children and women. 4 houses were destroyed in the accident. The Deputy Commissioner said that the roads were blocked due to landslides, which were crossed on foot. Rescue teams are engaged in relief operations using heavy machinery. Frontier Corps North delivered tents and other essential supplies to the victims by helicopter. Meanwhile, the funeral prayers of those killed in the accident were offered, in which Member of Provincial Assembly Anwar Zeb Khan, Deputy Commissioner Shahid Ali, Assistant Commissioner Khar Dr. Sadiq Ali, tribal elders and local people participated. In the Jabrarai area of ​​Salarzai Tehsil of Bajaur, seven houses were turned into piles of rubble after a landslide caused by a cloudburst caused by heavy mountain rocks. 10 people were buried under the rubble and many went missing. Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali issued instructions regarding the situation in Bajaur, after which the Deputy Commissioner Bajaur and other officials of the district administration reached the spot. The Chief Minister has directed that all available resources be utilized for rescue and relief operations. Commissioner Malakand and Deputy Commissioner Bajaur should personally supervise the rescue operations. The Chief Minister directed all district administrations, especially the administrations of Dir and Swat, to remain alert. He said that in view of the ongoing rains and weather conditions in these districts, the administration should remain on high alert. All advance safety arrangements should be ensured to deal with any emergency effectively and protect the lives and property of the people. The cloudburst incident occurred at around 3 am on Thursday night in the border village of Neel Band of Bitagram and Mansehra, as a result of which 3 to 4 houses were washed away. According to Deputy Commissioner Ishtiaq Ahmed, a total of 21 people were killed in the cloudburst. The cloudburst incident occurred in Dheri Halim, a border area of Mansehra and Battagram districts. 11 bodies were recovered from the Nandi Har Khor in the Shimlai area of Battagram, while an operation is underway to search for 10 missing people. According to Rescue 1122 Battagram, rescue officials received information that a cloudburst and flash flood affected the upper areas of Union Council Shimlai Battagram last night. The affected villages include those located near Neel Band, Saram and Malakal Gali, which fall within the border areas of Battagram and Mansehra districts. Rescue 1122 Battagram’s search and rescue operation is ongoing, however, communication links are severely affected due to intermittent rain and almost complete shutdown of mobile networks. A vehicle was swept away in a flash flood in Basian area of Dhar Mansehra. As soon as Rescue 1122 received the information, a diving team immediately left for the accident site. There were 6 people in the vehicle, out of which 3 were rescued alive on the spot, however, 2 people, 30-year-old Mir and 25-year-old Asad, died while 15 houses were destroyed by landslide in Dheri Halim village under Battal police station limits in Mansehra, as a result of which 35 people were buried under the debris. Meanwhile, several people, including children and women, were buried under the rubble after the roof of a house collapsed in Maidan Suri Pao area of Lower Dir. According to a spokesperson for Rescue 1122, the rescue team reached the scene after walking for 3 hours despite heavy rain, floodwaters, and difficult and bad roads. Rescue 1122 and locals have so far pulled out 7 people from the rubble, out of which 5 people died and 2 were injured. According to details released by the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Shangla District, 23 people have died and 8 have been injured in the district due to heavy rain and floods. Seven houses, a mosque and a school have also been destroyed by the flood. Three bridges were washed away in the flood relay, while seven highways were closed due to landslides, two of which have been cleared, while work is underway to restore the remaining highways. In Swat, too, torrential rains caused havoc in the rivers and streams, as a result of which more than 13 people, including women and children, died, three people went missing and several were injured. In Babuzai Mangalore Besh Banar tehsil of Swat, 8 people, including children, were killed due to lightning, of which five bodies have been recovered and three are missing and the search is on. Three people were swept away in the flood relay in Tehsil Matta, a woman died in Tehsil Bahrain, while 4 people were swept away in the flood relay near Mingora Dive Base. Dozens of houses, schools, shops, dozens of vehicles, and several connection bridges were destroyed in the flood. Bangladesh was hit by severe flooding in Mingora Khor. Hundreds of houses in Mohalla, Mullah Baba, Makan Bagh, Haji Baba, Landex and other areas along the riverbank were completely destroyed, while hundreds of people were trapped on the roofs of their houses, who were rescued by people with their own help. According to Deputy Commissioner Swat Saleem Jan, a total of 52 houses were destroyed in the flood, while 13 bridges were washed away and 2 primary schools were also destroyed. The flood completely destroyed Gabin Jabba Road, while Malam Jabba Road was also severely damaged. Ten vehicles were destroyed in Kabal, while 17 shops were damaged.According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), 312 people have died and 740 have been injured, including 142 children, in flash floods and heavy rains in different parts of Pakistan since late June, according to the NDMA. According to the NDMA, these floods, which began on June 26, have wreaked havoc across the country. The dead include 113 men, 57 women and 142 children, while the injured include 243 children, 209 women and 288 men. According to the advisory of the Meteorological Department, monsoon waves coming from the Arabian Sea are continuously entering the upper regions of Pakistan, while humid winds coming from the Bay of Bengal are likely to strengthen further by the middle of the week. A westerly wind, which is currently affecting the region, is expected to intensify further from August 17. In these circumstances, Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Rain, wind and thunderstorms are expected in isolated places in Jammu and Kashmir, Upper Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan. Rains are expected to continue in the northern areas, including Neelum Valley, Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Poonch and several districts of Gilgit-Baltistan during August 18-21. Widespread rains are expected in various districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Dir, Swat, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Peshawar and Mardan during August 18-21, with heavy to very heavy rain at places.

Intermittent rains with isolated heavy rains are also expected in southern districts, including Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Waziristan, Tank and Dera Ismail Khan. Heavy rains are expected in Punjab, including Islamabad/Rawalpindi, Murree, Galiat, Lahore, Gujranwala, Sialkot and Faisalabad during August 18-21, while light to moderate rain is expected in isolated places in southern districts. Some parts of Balochistan Parts of Pakistan, including Barkhane, Zhob, Khuzdar, Gwadar and Panjgur, and several districts of Sindh, including Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana and Tharparkar, are expected to receive rains from August 18 to 22. The Meteorological Department warned that flash floods may occur in local rivers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Murree, Galiat, northeast Punjab and Azad Kashmir from August 15 to 21, while there is a risk of landslides coming from mountain ranges in Dera Ghazi Khan and eastern Balochistan from August 18 to 21. There will be a risk of urban flooding in low-lying areas of Islamabad/Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sialkot, Peshawar and Nowshera during the same period. Landslides and mudslides may block roads in mountainous areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Murree, Galiat and Azad Kashmir, while heavy rains, strong winds and lightning strikes may damage weak structures such as walls of mud houses, roofs, electricity poles, Billboards, vehicles and solar panels may be damaged. The Meteorological Department has instructed the public, travelers and tourists not to travel to sensitive areas unnecessarily and to stay informed of the latest weather conditions. All relevant agencies have been instructed to remain on high alert to avoid any untoward situation.