Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday visited the flood-affected districts of Swat, Buner, Shangla, and Swabi in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as six more bodies were recovered from debris in Swabi.
Record rains in KP, which started on August 15, have wreaked havoc across the province. Last week, the provincial government declared an emergency as torrential rains ravaged homes, displaced families, and left a trail of destruction across Buner, Swat, Shangla, Mansehra, and beyond.
“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by federal ministers and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, visited the flood-affected districts of Swat, Buner, Shangla, and Swabi,” the Press Information Department said in a press release.
More bodies recovered
Six bodies were recovered from the debris in Dalori, a cloudburst-hit region in KP’s Swabi district, bringing the number of recovered bodies to 29, according to rescue officials.
“So far, a total of 29 dead bodies, including children, women and men, have been recovered from the debris in this ill-fated and natural calamity-hit village,” District Emergency Officer (DEO) Rescue 1122 Swabi Muhammad Awais Babar told Dawn.com.
The prime minister and COAS also received a comprehensive briefing on ongoing rescue and relief operations in KP, the PID added.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam, and Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal accompanied PM Shehbaz.
During their interaction with flood victims, the prime minister assured them of the government and the army’s unwavering commitment to extending maximum support to them “in this critical hour”.
PM Shehbaz appreciated the tireless dedication of the armed forces and civil administration, reaffirmed solidarity with the flood-affected population and assured them of all possible assistance, according to the PID.
The prime minister emphasised that every available national resource will be mobilised to accelerate recovery efforts and restore normalcy in the affected areas.
Encroachments on riverways condemned
Speaking on the occasion, the prime minister also drew attention to illegal encroachments, the timber mafia, and stone crushing activities, especially in the region’s waterways, which have contributed greatly to the loss of lives and damages.
“After the 2022 floods, I saw with my own eyes that on the sides of nullahs, rivers — In fact, even inside the rivers — that hotels and houses had been made. There is no law in the entire world that allows you to construct dangerous hotels in such places,” he regretted.
He said Pakistan must act as a ‘hard state’ where no one is above the law and necessary actions are taken against violators without distinction, according to the PID.
Field Marshal Asim Munir also interacted with the troops, police and civil administration personnel involved in rescue efforts, lauding their selfless commitment in assisting victims of floods and torrential rains.
The COAS directed ground formations to approach the responsibility with utmost devotion and to spare no effort in alleviating the hardships of flood-stricken families, the PID said.
“He underscored that the safety and relief of fellow citizens remain the foremost priority, commending the forces and civil administration for their untiring service,” the PID statement added.
The prime minister and participants earlier also offered prayers for those who lost their lives in the floods.
At least 358 people had died till Tuesday as a result of heavy flooding and rain in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the past week, while rehabilitation efforts were still underway as the province recovered from the record deluge, according to the KP Provincial Disaster Management Authority.
On Tuesday, the premier had ordered a week-long, uninterrupted supply of electricity to the flood-hit areas of Gilgit-Baltistan and KP, while road and power supply were being restored in these areas.
Tragedy in Dalori
Dalori, the site where the bodies were recovered from on Wednesday, is a far-flung village in the mountainous regions of Gadoon Amazai, Topi, a sub-tehsil of Swabi. On Tuesday, the death toll in the Gadoon Amazi area had surged to 24, including eight children.
A rescue official said the district administration has decided to continue its search operation in the area till the task is completed, with locals assisting and monitoring the efforts, which have been ongoing since Monday.
He added that eight bodies were recovered on Monday when the disaster struck in the early morning, followed by 15 more on Tuesday. Another six were pulled from the collapsed houses during day and night operations on Wednesday.
A total of 110 rescue staff have been deployed at the Dalori village site, as per the DEO. “Rescue 1122 of Nowshera, Haripur and Mardan districts have been assisting them in the continued operation for the last three days.”
Pakistan army soldiers, civil defence volunteers, members of Al-Khidmat Foundation and various locals from different villages in the Gadoon Amazai belt participated in the operation.
Rescue officials said it was unclear when the operation would conclude. Local residents estimated that 36 people died in the disaster, with 29 bodies recovered so far and seven still missing
However, Topi Mayor Rahim Jadoon said the exact number of missing people was still unknown, but confirmed that the cloudburst had destroyed 12 houses.
Meanwhile, KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur said yesterday his government would provide all possible assistance to flood-hit people to help them pick up the pieces.