ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed that relief supplies be dispatched to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on a priority basis through trucks, in light of the recent heavy rains and flood situation.
An emergency meeting was convened under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to review the ongoing rains and flood conditions across the country.The Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) briefed the Prime Minister on the damages, rescue, and relief operations. He also informed the Prime Minister about the impact of cloudbursts and flash floods in the northern regions of the country.
The Prime Minister instructed NDMA to continue collaborating with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA). He emphasized the importance of providing support for rescue and relief efforts in KP and utilizing all available resources.
Furthermore, the Prime Minister directed the NDMA Chairman to coordinate relief activities with the KP government. He stressed that tents, medicines, food items, and other relief materials should be transported immediately to KP on a priority basis via trucks.The Prime Minister also ordered that those stranded in flood-affected areas and tourists be evacuated promptly to safe locations.
It is worth noting that various districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Kashmir have experienced severe destruction due to cloudbursts, landslides, and flooding. Over 200 people have lost their lives so far, with many others injured.In Buner alone, over 150 people have been killed, and several are missing. The cloudburst triggered floods that washed away villages, destroyed homes, and submerged animals and vehicles. An emergency has been declared in Buner.
In Bajaur, following a cloudburst, floods and landslides resulted in 21 fatalities. In Mansehra, the bodies of 16 individuals swept away in floodwaters after a cloudburst in the village of Dheri Halim were recovered from Batragram.The districts of Buner, Bajaur, Mansehra, and Batragram have been declared disaster areas.During relief operations in Bajaur, a helicopter belonging to the KP government crashed while responding to the flood-affected areas. The incident resulted in the martyrdom of all five crew members onboard.
