Infor Minister, NDMA chairman, and DG ISPR in joint press conference confirmed 670 deaths in rains
STAFF REPORT
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Army has deployed two engineering battalions in Gilgit and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to assist in flood relief operations. Minister for Information Atta Tarar, DG ISPR Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, and NDMA Chairman held a joint press conference here on Tuesday and announced that search and rescue teams were actively engaged in operations across the flood-hit regions. Information Minister Atta Tarar said that 25,000 people have been rescued so far, while the NDMA chief confirmed that 670 lives have been lost in the recent monsoon rains, with efforts ongoing to recover those swept away by the floods. DG ISPR stated that, on the directions of Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, additional army units had been mobilised. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry revealed that two engineering battalions were already deployed in Gilgit and KP to restore communication lines and aid relief operations. Highlighting the scale of devastation, the DG ISPR added that roads in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) were badly damaged, while over 6,000 injured people had received treatment at medical camps set up by the army. DG ISPR Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry confirmed that the Pakistan Army has intensified relief and rescue operations in flood-affected regions of Gilgit and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, deploying three medical units and additional engineering resources. The DG ISPR said medical teams are currently providing treatment to the injured in Bunner and Shangla, where two battalions are also engaged in relief operations. He added that several damaged bridges have been repaired and blocked roads reopened, restoring connectivity to hard-hit communities. In addition to army medical battalions, teams from CMH Rawalpindi have also been dispatched to support relief efforts, he added. The DG ISPR also stated that the army has allocated one day’s ration supply exclusively for flood victims on the special directives of Field Marshal Asim Munir. In the middle of the night, by the glow of their mobile phones, rescuers and villagers dug through the concrete remains of flattened houses after massive rocks crashed down on a remote Pakistani village following a cloudburst.
