PESHAWAR: The death toll from yesterday’s torrential rains, floods, and cloudburst in various parts of the Northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa jumped to 307.
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has released a latest report on casualties and damages, saying 307 people lost their lives in various incidents over the past 48 hours. Another 23 people sustained injuries. The dead include 279 men, 15 women, and 13 children. Among the injured are 17 men, 4 women, and 2 children.
The report said 74 houses were damaged. Of these, 63 houses were partially damaged while 11 were completely destroyed.
Buner remained the worst-hit district, with 184 deaths reported so far. Other affected districts include Swat, Buner, Bajaur, Torghar, Mansehra, Shangla, and Battagram. The heaviest impact was recorded in Buner, Bajaur, and Battagram.
The PDMA warned that the current spell of heavy rain may continue intermittently until August 21.
On the special directives of the Chief Minister, relief funds have been released for the affected districts. The Chief Minister also ordered all concerned departments to speed up relief operations.
PDMA said its teams and district administrations are in close coordination and are continuously monitoring the situation. It added that all district administrations were earlier instructed to take precautionary measures in advance.
Relief efforts have been accelerated in the affected districts. Authorities have been told to restore blocked highways and link roads using all available resources. PDMA also advised tourists to stay alert and follow precautionary guidelines.
The Emergency Operations Center of PDMA is fully active. Citizens can report any untoward incident, get weather updates, and seek information through the free helpline 1700, the PDMA spokesperson said.
