Buner confirms 92 fatalities; 2,000 people were moved to safer ground in Swat
STAFF REPORTER
PESHAWAR: Flash flooding in the country’s northern areas on Friday left at least 222 people dead, with 210 lives lost in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 12 in Gilgit Baltistan (GB), according to provincial officials and disaster management bodies. Since late June, monsoon rains have wreaked havoc across the country — especially KP and northern regions — by triggering deadly floods, landslides and displacement, particularly in vulnerable, poorly drained, or densely populated areas. The province-wide deaths in KP included 184 men, 14 women and 12 children, with Buner witnessing the highest number of deaths, 91, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA). The data added that 68 homes, three schools and 16 other structures were destroyed amid the deluge, with 49 homes being destroyed in Swat alone. According to the PDMA report, 61 houses were partially destroyed and seven were completely destroyed. The report added that heavy rain in the area is likely to continue intermittently until August 21. “On the special instructions of the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, relief funds have been released for the districts affected by rains and flash floods,” the report read. “A total of Rs500 million has been released for the districts most affected by floods,” it added, stating that Rs150m has been released for Buner district, Rs100m each for Bajaur, Battagram and Mansehra districts and Rs50m for Swat. The PDMA added that it ordered the relevant institutions and bodies to intensify rescue efforts and dispatched letters to district administrations to take precautions ahead of the upcoming weather. In the evening, KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur issued a video statement where he said that all departments and institutions are engaged in rescue operations, which are being monitored from a control room set up at CM House in Peshawar. “The province, especially in the Malakand and Hazara regions, has been hit by terrible floods due to cloudbursts and rain,” he said. “As a result, many lives have been lost due to various accidents. “Two helicopters of the provincial government were working to rescue people, but one of these helicopters met with a tragic accident due to bad weather. Five crew members were martyred.” The CM outlined that the district administrations and all provincial government departments are actively engaged and “ensuring all measures to protect the lives and property of the people”. “The administration of the affected districts, as well as others, has also been put on high alert and safety measures are being taken,” he added. “Heavy machinery has been deployed in the affected areas for rescue operations and to clear blocked roads.”
