KP floods toll reaches 408
Saturday, July 31, 2010
By Nisar Mahmood
PESHAWAR: Casualties due to rain and flood-related incidents were on the rise as more deaths were reported from various areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Friday.
Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain put the death toll at 408, though unofficial figures would be higher because many areas of the province were inundated and inaccessible due to severing of communication links. The minister also conceded that the death toll could be in thousands keeping in view the severity of the floods.
SHANGLA: A report from Bisham said at least 49 people died when a mudslide hit Olandar village in the mountainous Shangla district. Sources said that 16 bodies were recovered from the scene, while rescue efforts by the locals continued to retrieve bodies and the injured. The sources said rescuers were facing immense problems due to the bad weather.
Due to closure of roads all over Shangla, the rescue teams arriving from other parts of the country were facing difficulty in reaching the victims and had not started rescue work. The recent downpour, flood and mudslides killed about 139 people in Shangla, though the police confirmed 109 deaths only.
About 800 houses were destroyed, 30 kilometres stretch of the Karakoram Highway and 40 kilometres of other roads in Shangla district were swept away in floodwater. Several bridges, including main bridges on Karakoram Highway, were also destroyed, resulting in the closure of the road for traffic. Hundreds of people were stranded in their villages, as their communications with other parts of the country was severed.
DIR: Sources said 12 members of a family were among 31 killed as a result of landsliding and lightning at Nehag Darra in Upper Dir on Friday. Five more were killed at another place of the Nehag Darra because of landsliding.
So far, 51 people have died in the Upper Dir district in the last three days. Twenty of them drowned and the remaining were killed in other rain-related incidents. The flood also washed away about 23 bridges and 50 houses besides damaging the Benazir Shaheed University Sharingal, a forest college and a rest house.
BUNER: Reports from Daggar said 16 people had been killed in Buner district due to the rains. Those killed were identified as Usmania, Rania and Shero, daughters of Khan Badahar, Nadim Zia and Azeemullah, sons of Farin, at Chargazai, Ijaz, son of Haroon at Seragai, Muslimina, wife of Noor Gulo, Rahim Akram, Husan Zia, Naeema and Saima, daughters of Noor Gul, Samina, wife of Noor Khan, Gul Salamat, son of Noor Gul of Bashori Mulla Banda, Naseeb Zada, son of Luqman Shah of Amlook Amazai, Bakht Afsar, son of Abdul Wakeel of Mandao Amazai, Marwa, daughter of Fazal Muhammad of Amlook Amazai.
Those injured included Wakeel, Zarin, residents of Gero Bigra, Khan Badahar, Zarnoosha, Asmia, Farin, Azam and Yasmin, residents of Ajlai Chargazai.
CHARSADDA: The death toll in the district reached 25 during the last three days. Another 50 were injured in different localities of the district. The number of houses collapsed is stated to be in hundreds as Charsadda is the most affected district in plain areas of the province. Utmanzai village was completely marooned due to heavy rains.
HARIPUR: Four persons were killed as a result of lightning at Charwai village of Nara Amazai union council of Ghazi Teshil in Haripur district on Friday. The dead were identified as Sherin Bibi, wife of Anwar, their daughter Nelam Bibi, Usman, son of Abdul Mateen, and 10-year-old Siddiq, son of Abdul Waris.
The water inflow at Tarbela Dam broke all the previous records as a tide of 710,000 cusecs water entered the lake yesterday. Electricity generation at the powerhouse also crossed the limit of its capacity of 3,578 megawatt as it generated 3,522 megawatt electricity yesterday.
The district administrations of Swabi, Haripur and Attock had put on alert downstream villages against any possible threat. Population on the banks of Indus River was also asked to move to safer places.
DARGAI: Five persons were killed due to roof collapse at Ghawar Killay in Dargai Tehsil of Malakand Agency. The dead were Bacha Rasool, his wife and 12-year-old son Osama. Two persons of the family were injured and taken to Dargai hospital. In another incident at Sharifabad, Ihsanullah and his minor son were killed. Three persons, including a minor, were killed and another sustained injuries when a roof collapsed in Sharif Killay at Dargai.
BATKHELA: Nine persons were killed and five others sustained injuries when the roofs of their houses caved in Malakand Agency, officials said. Two persons were washed away by the flood and were missing till the filing of this report, while two more bodies were retrieved from the floodwaters. One of them was handed over to the family while another was buried temporarily in a local graveyard.
In another incident, two bodies of men whose identity could not be ascertained were found in Thana area.
TAKHTBHAI: Two women died and three persons, including a woman, were injured in separate incidents of roof collapse due to torrential rains in various parts of Takhtbhai, local sources said on Friday.An eyewitness said Khayesta Bibi from Sharry area and Zuhaida from Lundkhwar died when the roof of their houses collapsed.
In another incident, two minors and a woman Sher Bano, hailing from Makanabad and two children of a police Constable Shafiq belonging to the main Takhtbhai city, sustained injures when the roof of their house caved in. All the injured were rushed to a local hospital.
SWABI: Amid continuous rain and flash floods, three persons, including a child were killed, many were displaced and crops were damaged in the district, officials said yesterday.
Six-year-old Aliya was accompanying her mother home during rain when floodwater from Topi Badri Nullah washed them away. The little girl died, while her mother survived. The body was recovered later.
In Gandaf area, Yasir, son of Muhammad Saleh, fell victim to a crumbling wall of his house. His body was retrieved from the debris.
Sardar Muhammad, an aged man of Dawlat region in Chota Lahor tehsil, also died in the floodwaters when the entire region was inundated.
In addition, scores of houses collapsed and some were partially damaged in various areas. The house of Awami National Party MNA Pervez Khan developed cracks when the flood entered his house at Tandkohi region.
District Coordination Officer Syed Abdul Jabbar Khan appealed to the non-government organisations to help the government and reach the people in different regions.
Traffic on Swabi-Jahangira Road remained suspended for the whole day as the causeway of boats on river Kabul was washed away by the floodwater and the boats were trapped at the Jahangira Bridge, blocking the water and posing a serious threat to the bridge.
We stopped the vehicles to pass over the bridge because there was a serious threat to it as the River Kabul was in high flood at Jahangira, said an official.
Several roads are no longer usable. The communications system was badly disturbed and the power supply has also been suspended in many villages.
In addition, supply of natural gas has also been suspended to the entire district since Thursday evening, and people have been running from pillar to post for preparation of their meals.
When contacted, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines (SNGPL) officials said the supply remained suspended due to damage to the main supply line near Jahangira.
They said work was in progress to repair the damaged line. However, the situation may take several days.
Meanwhile, rescue workers, especially the workers of the Al-Khidmat Foundation, were making efforts to reach people stranded in the far-flung villages.
ABBOTTABAD: Two more persons were killed in the district, as Hamad, son of Aurangzeb, and another youth named Sajawal drowned in the flood, while body of another youth, Yasir, son of Muhammad Bashir, was also recovered on Friday.
Authorities in Abbottabad said 78 persons have been killed so far in the Hazara division due to rains and floods.
MANSEHRA: The Balakot-Kaghan Road was washed away by Kunhar River, two kilometres away from Ayub Bridge in Balakot.
Shahrah-e-Kaghan was closed for traffic due landsliding. Thousands of tourists were also trapped in Shogran, Kaghan and Naran.
The bridge linking Palas with Pattan Tehsil in Kohistan district was also submerged in floodwater.
One person drowned in river Kunhar along with his vehicle. He was identified as Atiq Ahmed and the number of his vehicle is B1758 Karachi. He hailed from Balakot.
Civil Hospital, police station, many shops and houses were washed away by river Kunhar. At Podna Bala, many temporary shelters were also washed away by the river. However, the residents had already been evacuated in view of anticipated floods in Balakot.
KOHISTAN: Former district Nazim Dr Saifur Rehman Qureshi said heavy rains and floods had killed 150 people and destroyed several houses in the Kohistan district.
He said several villages in Pattan, Palas, Kolae, Dobair, Shishal, Jijal, Khalijal, Bankhad, Basha Harban and in Kundia had been inundated due to the flash floods. He said thousands of people had been rendered homeless and many bridges on Karakoram Highway had been washed away.
The former Nazim said due to floods and avalanches, these areas had been cut off from the rest of the country and people were facing food shortage.
NOWSHERA: Officials said Nowshera Cantonment, Nowshera Kalan, Jehangira, Pabbi, Pir Sabak, Akora Khattak, Misri Banda, Darra Mela, Mughalkai, Pashtoon Garhi, Amankot, Mohib Banda, Akbarpura and Balu areas had been inundated due to the torrential rains and floods.
People in Pabbi, Mohib Banda and Nowshera Cantonment staged protests against the slow pace of government aid and rescue work in the affected areas.
They said if the government was unable to provide relief items to the affected people under such circumstances, then what to say about reconstruction of their houses.
They said their near and dear ones were stranded in floodwater at various places and waiting for the government rescue operation.
They alleged the government was aware of the floods but did not inform the people to move to safer places.
Official source said River Kabul had a capacity of 170,000 cusecs water while currently there was 480,000 cusecs in the river.
MINGORA: About 53 persons were killed and scores injured while around 5,500 were stranded in flooded areas in Swat valley on Friday, official sources said.
The sources said the roof of a house collapsed in Gulkada No 3 in Mingora, where Muhammad Said and his wife Jannat Bibi and their daughter Shafahat died on the spot.
Almost all the link roads and bridges in the district have been destroyed and the people lost communication with many areas. Houses were inundated causing losses in millions.
A report from Bahrain said the road from Madyan to Kalam had completely been destroyed, while the flood washed away 250 houses and 40 hotels in Behrain. Official figure in Malakand Agency is 48 houses, which have been confirmed by the DCO.
BATTAGRAM: About 30 people have so far been confirmed dead during the last three days in the district. While the flood washed away 40 houses, dozens of shops, a police post and civil hospital.
KOHAT: As per details released to media by Kohat commissioner Khalid Umerzai, 39 casualties had been reported in the district during the last three days of rain and floods.
He said 12 bodies had been recovered from the debris of collapsed Jarma Bridge while more deaths were feared. He informed that two bridges at Raisan and Jarma had also collapsed. Relief camps had been established in schools and colleges where affectees were provided food, he added.
The victim families would be provided compensation after announcement by the provincial government, he maintained.
BANNU: A minor girl died and six others injured in separate incidents of roof collapse here, local sources said yesterday.
An eyewitness said Shamreen Bibi, 10, was sleeping at her room in Bozakhel when the roof collapsed and she died on the spot.
In another incident, six members of a family named Asma Bibi, Inam Bibi, Mohammad Asad Khan, Gul Sanam, Habib Nawaz and Sanbalad sustained injuries.
Meanwhile, 90 prisoners were shifted to the Bannu Central Jail as the rainwater entered the Lakki Jail.
LAKKI MARWAT: Two young men were washed away by floodwater near Nali Chak village. Locals recovered the bodies of Zainullah and Dilawar and handed them over to their relatives for burial.
Heavy floods in river Kurrum inundated several localities of Naurang tehsil, flooding several villages and causing loss to properties.
Nar Hafizabad, Pitawi Killay, Sardar Killay, Tanchiabad and Mohallah Gul Baz were among the hardest affected localities where floodwater damaged houses.
Our correspondent adds from Islamabad: Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Sumsam Ali Bukhari said Friday that so far 292 deaths had been confirmed in the rain-flood-related incidents so far.
Speaking at news briefing here, he said all out efforts were being made for rescue of marooned people in different flood-hot areas.
He added that steps had been taken to provide clean drinking water to flood affectees, as this was prerequisite for preventing spread of diseases.
Online adds: Army spokesman Maj Gen Athar Abbas has said all available troops of Army have been fully mobilized in respective flood affected areas, and so far 14,250 people have been evacuated from the flooded areas.
According to details released on Friday evening, Maj Gen Athar Abbas said 3,000 people were rescued in Swat, 2,000 in Tank, 3,000 in Risalpur, 3,450 in Nowshera, Charsadda and Pabbi. Efforts had met success in rescuing 2,800 tourists stranded in Kalam, as they had been evacuated to safer places, he added. As many as 17 army helicopters are taking parts in these relief activities besides motor boats, he pointed out.
PR adds: Pakistan Air Force is actively participating in the ongoing rescue/relief operation being conducted in the flood affected areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
In this regard, C130 aircraft of PAF have transported 30 small/medium size boats from PAF Base Faisal (Karachi) to PAF Academy Risalpur to be used in flood affected areas of the province, says a press release.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Navy, on the direction of chief of the naval staff, has launched rescue operations (Operation Madad) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to assist local government and authorities in rescuing flood affected people in Peshawar, Charsadda and Nowshera regions.
In this regard, an emergency cell has been activated at Naval Headquarters, Islamabad and a number of specialist naval commandos and marine teams along with boats as well as diving gear have been dispatched to the affected areas, says a press release.
APP adds from Islamabad: The government has allocated Rs 21 million for the victims of flood in Khyber-Pakhtunkwa province.
According to National Disaster Management Authority, around 900 people have been evacuated during the relief operation, which included 17 helicopters of authority, three from Pakistan Air Force and three from Ministry of Interior.
However, 52 boats have also been engaged in the rescue operation, apart from locally arranged boats.
The authority has informed that it has distribution 4,950 packs of mixed ration amongst the affected population besides 600 tents and 4,500 Sand Bags by Provincial Government whereas ERC has provided 2,000 tents, 15,000 ration packs, 5,000 blankets, 5,000 plastic mats and 3,000 jackets.
According to an Inter Services Pubic Relations (ISPR) press release, ten thousands cooked foods bags (one bag for six persons) were dropped on Friday in the flood affected areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. As many as 21 helicopters took part in the rescue operation.
