The provincial government on Monday released Rs800 million in relief funds for all affected districts, with an additional Rs 500m specifically for worst-hit Buner, as flash floods continue to ravage Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with the death toll at 341.
The recent catastrophic floods in KP have claimed at least 341 lives as of data from the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Monday at 7pm and injured 178 people. Meanwhile, data from the National Disaster Management Authority showed the nationwide toll from rain-related incidents since late-June rose to 660 deaths and 935 injured.
The KP Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on Monday announced Rs800m in relief funds to the administrations of affected districts on the instructions of the provincial government.
A separate relief fund of Rs500m has been earmarked for Buner district, which accounts for the majority of casualties with 222 deaths and 120 injuries, according to a PDMA report released today.
Buner was followed by Shangla, with 36 deaths and 21 people injured in flash floods and roof collapses since August 15. At least 95 houses have been damaged— 55 fully — with as many schools partially destroyed in Shangla.
Mansehra and Bajaur recorded 21 deaths each and five injuries each. Swat reported 20 deaths and two injuries, but witnessed the heaviest damage to infrastructure as 220 houses have been either fully or partially damaged and 163 cattle have perished.
Five people died and three people were injured in Lower Dir due to flash floods and thunder strikes, while 100 cattle perished. Three people died in Battagram due to flash floods, while a roof collapse in Nowshera killed two people.
Cloudburst in KP’s Swabi claims lives
A cloudburst over two villages in Swabi’s Gadoon Amazai area killed at least 11 people, including children and women and left over 33 missing before dawn.
Provincial Irrigation Minister Aqibullah Khan visited the affected village of Dalori said and told Dawn.com that eight bodies were recovered at the disaster site by local residents.
“We are close to recovering eight more [bodies],” he said. “Among the dead, 14 people belonged to a single family.”
Swabi Deputy Commissioner Nasrullah Khan confirmed to Dawn.com that 12 houses were inundated in Dalori due to the cloudburst, killing several people.
“The flow of flash floods caused by the cloudburst was very fast, and due to the mountainous area, landslides have also occurred at various places,” he stated.
“The cloudburst and landslides wreaked havoc everywhere in the Gadoon Amazai belt. Many houses were submerged by flash floods, while many people were swept away.”
Amjad Gul, a member of the local forum United Gadoon, told Dawn.com that the cloudburst caused many houses to collapse. Nine people were pulled out of the houses, while the rest remained under the debris.
“It is not an easy task to pull people out of the rubble in Dalori,” Gul said. “There is a dire need for an excavator. It seems that many people have been buried under the rubble.”
He added that due to the terrain, landslides have been reported in various places, while rescue teams have also been called from the Haripur and Mardan districts.
“Medicines, camps, everything is ready in the hospital,” Gul stated. “People have volunteered to help the affected people and the chief minister and chief secretary are monitoring the situation themselves.”
Meanwhile, in another cloudburst, nine members of the same family were buried under debris in the village of Sar Koi Payan, also a part of the Gadoon Amazai belt.
Gul told Dawn.com that the nine people were recovered, but four were killed in the collapse. Among the four dead were two women and two children.
“The family returned from Karachi and were sitting in their newly built house, which suddenly collapsed and buried the entire family under debris,” he said.
Locals recovered the bodies and transported them to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital in Topi.
PM pledges federal cabinet’s one-month salary for flood relief
PM Shehbaz pledged the federal government’s complete support for flood-hit communities in KP, announcing the donation of one month’s salary from the federal cabinet to aid relief efforts, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported.
Chairing a meeting to review ongoing relief efforts by the federal government in KP, GB and AJK, the prime minister directed federal institutions to intensify efforts to assist citizens in affected districts. The meeting was attended by federal ministers, the NDMA chief and the PM’s chief coordinator.
“In this hour of calamity, there is no federal or provincial government; we must ensure the assistance and rehabilitation of affected people,” PM Shehbaz said. “Helping our distressed Pakistani brothers and sisters is our national responsibility”.
The PM added that this was “not a time for politics but for service and healing the wounds of the people”.
The federal government was ordered to provide financial assistance to the families of deceased and affected individuals under the Prime Minister’s relief package.
“Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam will oversee relief and rehabilitation operations in affected areas, while the relevant federal ministers will personally monitor the restoration of electricity, water, roads, and other facilities in affected areas,” the prime minister added.
The PM also instructed all relevant federal ministers to visit the northern areas in person and discouraged the National Highway Authority (NHA) from differentiating between provincial or national highways, stating that opening routes for relief must be the top priority.
He also ordered the communications ministry, NHA, and Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) to repair highways and bridges in affected areas. “[The] minister for communications should personally oversee rehabilitation operations,” the PM ordered.
Additionally, the minister for power was tasked with visiting affected areas and inspecting and prioritising restoration of the electricity system.
“The NDMA should present a comprehensive plan for the distribution of relief items to flood victims in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” the prime minister said, instructing the finance ministry to provide the necessary resources to the authority.
The relevant federal ministers were directed to remain in affected areas “until the last person received assistance and basic infrastructure was restored”.
“[The] ministry of health should send medicines and medical teams to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and establish medical camps, while [the] Benazir Income Support Programme should be mobilised to assist the affected,” the prime minister ordered.
Participants in the meeting were briefed on the ongoing relief activities by the NDMA and federal ministers. They were informed that the federal government, provincial governments, the Pakistan Army and other institutions had established 456 relief camps and conducted 400 rescue operations so far.
The meeting was briefed that relief trucks carrying essential items were being dispatched, while the prime minister ordered that convoys be sent to the hardest-hit areas.
According to the preliminary estimates, damages to public and private property exceeded around Rs126 million.
Meanwhile, the NDMA presented a report on the provision of rations, tents, medicines, medical teams and other essential items, with the prime minister ordering that more relief goods be dispatched.
The meeting’s participants were informed that the monsoon season would continue until the second week of September, with two major spells of rain expected and six having already passed.
Muqam briefed the meeting on the situation in Swat, while Power Minister Awais Leghari delivered a briefing on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Special Assistant to the PM Mubarak Zeb briefed the meeting on Bajaur, while the NHA chairman reported on Malakand and the communications secretary briefed the meeting on the situation in Gilgit.
Restoration of flood-affected areas a national obligation: Tarar
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said that rescue, relief and restoration of flood-affected areas was a “national obligation”, assuring that the federal and provincial governments would work collectively to fulfil this responsibility.
During a media briefing alongside Climate Change Minister Musaddiq Malik and NDMA Chairman Lieutenant General Inam Haider in Islamabad, Tarar said an important meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif today on the recent flooding caused by monsoon rains.
Tarar said ongoing rescue and relief activities in flood hit areas was discussed in the meeting and improved coordination was ongoing with provincial governments.
He noted that several meetings were held at the National Command and Control Center before the monsoon rains hit, with representatives of all provincial governments participating.
“Data has been regularly provided by the NDMA to the relevant authorities through the Early Warning System,” Tarar said.
He added that relief activities were being carried out by the armed forces and other organisations in flood-affected areas across KP, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.
The communications secretary was already in GB to supervise restoration of the Skardu-Gilgit Road, Tarar said, while the National Highway Authority chairman was in Malakand Division leading efforts to restore roads.
Similarly, Tarar said, Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan Amir Muqam was also in Buner monitoring rescue and relief work.
“The prime minister has instructed the ministers for water, power and communications to ensure their presence in these areas to personally monitoring restoration work of infrastructure related to their respective ministries,” he said.
Monsoon threat to persist till end August: NDMA
During today’s briefing, NDMA chairman Haider warned that monsoon conditions would remain precarious until the end of August, with normalisation expected by late September.
He warned that the country remains at risk of further torrential downpours, with two to three additional spells likely in the coming weeks.
“The last spells will end by Sept 10, and the overall situation is expected to normalise by the end of September,” he said.
He added that search operations are underway for missing people, who would be added to the official death toll if not found.
“More than 425 relief camps have been set up in flood-hit areas, offering essential supplies and medical care,” Haider said. “Displaced families are also being accommodated in government buildings, including schools.”
Food distribution under the Prime Ministers Ration Programme is ongoing, in coordination with provincial governments and relevant authorities, he added.
The NDMA chairman said that special army units have been deployed on the directions of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), with critically injured individuals were being airlifted to hospitals.
“Field ambulances are actively transporting patients, and major hospitals are fully engaged,” he said, adding that the National Emergencies Operation Center (NEOC) remains on high alert and is continuously releasing multi-source data to support relief efforts.
“Pakistan Army Aviation bases have activated reserve systems to support emergency evacuations during the ongoing monsoon emergency.”
Practical and moral need for aid: Saeed Ghani
Sindh Minister for Local Government, Housing and Town Planning Saeed Ghani condoled with the victims of the KP floods, adding that the Sindh government had offered to send aid to KP.
Addressing a press conference in Karachi, he acknowledged that the toll was a “huge number”, with many people still missing. “The nation has shown solidarity with the people of KP, GB, Kashmir,” the minister said.
“The Sindh government has even sent aid, but I heard that the government said this morning that they do not require any,” he added. “I thought this was unreasonable. There is a practical and moral need for aid and for the country to show unity.”
Ghani stated that the Sindh government “sent some items” and would not hold back if anything else was needed.
“We have faced such crises in the past. Sometimes, incidents happen that even the provincial and federal governments cannot tackle together,” he said.
“International organisations have come forward and helped us, such as the UN, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.
“These are threats that will not go away, despite our efforts,” Ghani said.
More to follow.