Over 850 People Dead, 2 Million Hit By "Historic Floods" In Pakistan

At least 15 people have died during the last 24 hours and millions were impacted as torrential rains lashed large parts of Pakistan triggering unprecedented flood situation in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, official data showed Sunday.

Ten people have died during the last 24 hours in the Punjab province while five died in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province during the same time.

The toll across Pakistan from June 26 till August 31 has increased to 854 with over 1,100 injured, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) report said.

"Over 2 million people have been impacted by historic floodings in Punjab while the government rescued 7,60,000 people and over 5,00,000 livestock trapped in floods," Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said in a statement on Sunday.

More than a dozen places across Lahore, Hafizabad and Multan districts received over 60 mm rains in 24 hours ending at 8:00 am on Sunday with at least four of them receiving more than 120 mm rainfall in that duration, Punjab's Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) data said.

"Punjab is facing one of the most severe floods in its history. The government is working round the clock on an extensive rescue and relief operation," she added.

Meanwhile, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, heavy rains continued to lash parts of the province as it reels from the catastrophic floods leaving 406 dead since June end even as the latest spell killed four children and a woman during past 24 hours, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said.

For 24 hours ending at 8:00 am on Sunday, the provincial capital Peshawar received 41 mm rainfall along with heavy spells in the catchment areas in Khyber district led to submergence of several low-lying areas in the city, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD). As many as 130 children and 227 females were among the total 854 deaths across Pakistan since June 26, NDMA data showed. The number of injured in rains and flood related incidents is 1,130.

While Punjab has been the worst hit in the recent spell of rains with most deaths over last week, it is the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that has witnessed maximum deaths this monsoon season.

The NDMA data showed that between June 26 when the monsoon rains started till August 31, there have been 484 deaths across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, followed by 209 in Punjab province, 58 in Sindh, 25 in Baluchistan, 70 in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and eight in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).

Meanwhile, Federal Climate Change Minister Dr Musadik Malik told a press conference on Sunday that around 2 million people have been rescued from flooded areas even as the government's priority is protecting eight million poor people who have been displaced by flooding across the country.

"We are trying to protect the 8 million displaced from waterborne diseases. We need to deliver potable water, medication, power, tents and mosquito nets and food," he said.

Malik also said the government's current focus is on keeping the flow of water below 1 million cusecs in Punjab to prevent rivers from overflowing and causing further destruction.

The Punjab government said that flood torrents of the Sutlej river have broken embankments at several places in multiple districts. "India has released another massive flood torrent," the government claimed and added that the incoming torrent is expected to reach Head Marala in two days.
 

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