Death toll soars past 1,000

PESHAWAR: Rescue workers and troops on Saturday scrambled to reach thousands of people marooned in their areas by the country’s worst floods in living memory, with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa bearing the greatest brunt as the death toll in the province rose to 800. The nationwide figure has crossed the 1,000 mark.

Hundreds of homes and vast swathes of farmland were destroyed, with the Karakoram Highway reportedly cut off and communities isolated as monsoon rains caused flash floods and landslides. The UN reported that almost a million people had been affected by the flooding, and at least 45 bridges destroyed across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Television footage and photos shot from helicopters showed people clinging to the walls and rooftops of damaged houses as gushing waters rampaged through inundated villages.

Clutching on to their belongings and carrying their children on their shoulders, some brave souls even walked barefoot through the water to reach safety.

“The death toll from the flood-stricken areas of K-P rose to a massive 800 souls, according to some reports,” said K-P Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain, but hastened to add, “these are mere speculations based on fragments of data”.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa death toll crosses 400: Iftikhar

Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said on Friday that the death toll from the flooding in the province has passed 400.

Iftikhar said boats have also been arranged for and sent to the affected areas to assist and evacuate the people. He said the current calamity is a natural disaster and advised his party-members not to politicise the issue.

Punjab’s land route to Khyber Pukhtunkhwa through GT Road and Motorway has been disconnected, while areas from Mullah Mansoor to Attock have been submerged.

Large numbers of livestock have been swept away and crops soaked in the floods. Routes from Charsadda and Attock to Peshawar are closed and heavy traffic jam can be seen on many parts of the GT Road.

Due to heavy rains and floods, communication and road infrastructure have also been completely suspended in the areas. Shahra-e-Karakuram has been closed for traffic while Shangla has lost its ground contact with Kohistan Alai and Batgram. Peshawar Motorway and GT road Nowshera are also closed for all kinds of traffic.

The Met Office has predicted scattered thunderstorms and rains with isolated heavy falls over the province during the next 24 hours.

113 people dead in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

The death toll of those killed in floods in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa rose to 113 on Thursday.

The areas worst affected by the flash floods in Khyber Pakhthunkhwa include Shangla, Dera Ismail Khan, Swat, Tank and the North Waziristan tribal agency.

Senior Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa minister Basheer Bilour said that  over 50 bridges have been swept away.

Fifiteen bridges, 300 shops, more than 80 houses and a hotel were washed away in floods in Swat and Bahrain.

Twenty-six people have died due to rains and floods in Shangla. Lightening struck and killed nine people in Dhairy, while eight drowned in floods in the Kohistan area.

Six people were swept away in floods in Lower Dir, while two children died in Marzoi area of Shabqadar when the roof of a house caved in.