Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited the districts affected by the floods of Swat, Buner and Shangla on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, since 14 more bodies recovered from debris in Dalori de Swabi.
The record rains in KP, which began on August 15, have wreaked havoc throughout the province. Last week, the provincial government declared an emergency when torrential rains devastated the houses, moved to families and left a trace of destruction through Buner, Swat, Shangla, Mansehra and beyond.
“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by federal ministers and the head of the army staff (COAS), Syed also Munir, visited the districts affected by the floods of Swat, Buner, Shangla and Swabi,” said the press information department in a press release.
The president of PTI, Barríster Gohar, while talking with the media in Peshawar, also expressed his gratitude to federal and provincial governments, the Pakistan army, political parties and their organizations, as well as all the people and institutions that were presented to provide help during floods.
Fourteen bodies of the debris were recovered in Dalori, a region affected by the cloud in the KP district, which carries the number of bodies recovered to 37, according to rescue officials.
According to the latest data from the PDMA KP, 385 people have died in rain -related incidents since August 15, with Buner informing the highest toll to 228. Other 182 people were injured, including 145 men, 27 women and 10 children.
Prime Minister and Coas also received comprehensive information on rescue and relief operations in KP, the PID added.
The Minister of Information, Attaullah Tarar, the Minister of Affairs of Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam, and the Minister of Planning Ahsan Iqbal accompanied Prime Minister Shehbaz.
During his interaction with the victims of the flood, the prime minister assured them of the government and the unwavering commitment of the army to extend the maximum support to them “in this critical hour.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz appreciated the tireless dedication of the armed forces and civil administration, reaffirmed solidarity with the population affected by floods and assured them all possible assistance, according to the PID.
The prime minister emphasized that each available national resource will mobilize to accelerate recovery efforts and restore normality in affected areas.
Invasions in Riverways condemned
Speaking on the occasion, the prime minister also caught attention to illegal invasions, the wood mafia and the activities of crushing stones, especially in the river paths of the region, which have greatly contributed to the loss of lives and damage.
“After the floods of 2022, I saw with my own eyes that on the sides of the Nullahs, Ríos, in fact, even inside the rivers, which hotels and houses had been made. There is no law throughout the world that allows it to build dangerous hotels in such places,” he lamented.
He said that Pakistan must act as a “hard state” where no one is above the law and that the necessary measures are taken against offenders without distinction, according to the PID.
The field marshal also interacted with the troops, police and civil administration staff involved in rescue efforts, praising their selfless commitment to help victims of flooding and torrential rains.
The COAS directed the land formations to address the responsibility with the greatest devotion and not save any effort to relieve the difficulties of the families affected by the floods, the PID said.
“He stressed that the security and relief of fellow citizens are still the main priority, praising civil forces and administration for their tireless service,” added the declaration of PID.
The prime minister and the participants also offered prayers for those who lost their lives in the floods.
On Tuesday, the prime minister had ordered an uninterrupted electricity supply of a week to the areas affected by the floods of Gilgit-Baltistan and KP, while the supply of roads and energy were restored in these areas.
Tragedy in Dalori
Dalori, the site where the bodies recovered on Wednesday, is a remote town in the mountainous regions of Gadoon Amazai, Topi, a Swabi subtehsil.
Dalori was hit by a cloud on Monday morning, which resulted in the complete destruction of 12 houses and the people were buried under the rubble. For Tuesday, the death toll in the Gadoon Amazi area had increased to 24, including eight children.
According to the KP PDMA, the dead number in Swabi rose to 41 on Wednesday.
Swabi’s attached commissioner, Nasarullah Khan Dawn.com“With the recovery of 14 dead more on Wednesday, we have completed the task and the 37 corpses of the debris in the village of Dalori have recovered.”
The district administration has completed the task, satisfying local people who helped and monitoring the entire operation, which continued throughout the day since Monday, he added.
“Eight bodies recovered on Monday, 15 more were extracted on Tuesday and 14 on Wednesday,” he said.
Hospitals officials said that a total of seven people were injured in Dalori’s village and free health services were provided.
DC Nasarullah said: “Now we will change to the relief operation to rehabilitate the locals affected by the explosion of the cloud.”
In a separate incident, four people died in the village of Sarkoi Bala. The bodies there were recovered on the first day of the incident.
“Until now, a total of 29 bodies, including children, women and men, have been recovered from the rubble in this sick and natural village affected by calamity,” said the emergency officer of the district (DEO) 1122 Swabi Muhammad Awais Babar Dawn.com earlier.
Deo Babar said that the district administration has decided to continue its search operation in the area until the task is completed, and the premises help and monitor the efforts, which have been in progress since Monday.
A total of 110 rescue employees had been deployed at the Dalori village site, according to Deo. “Rescue 1122 of the districts of Nowshera, Haripur and Mardan have been helping them in the continuous operation during the last three days.”
The Pakistan army soldiers, the Civil Defense Volunteers, the members of the Al-Khidmat Foundation and several locals from different villages in the Gadoon Amagai Belt participated in the operation.
However, the mayor of Topi, Rahim Jadoon, said that the exact number of missing persons was still unknown, but confirmed that the cloudburst had destroyed 12 houses.
Meanwhile, KP Prime Minister Ali Amin Gandapur said yesterday that his government would provide any possible assistance so that the people affected by floods help them collect the pieces.
King Charles of the United Kingdom condoles The death of the victims of floods, extends solidarity
Also on Wednesday, King Charles of the United Kingdom condol the death of the victims of floods and expressed solidarity with those affected by floods.
“My wife and I have desperately saddened to learn about the tragic loss of lives and the general devastation caused by the recent monsoon floods in Pakistan, and the horrendous helicopter accident during rescue operations,” said the British monarch in a statement.
“The scale of suffering is really heartbreaking, and our thoughts and the deepest sympathy are with all who have lost loved ones, homes and livelihoods,” said the statement citing Charles.
The British monarch also extended “sincere condolences to those affected and sympathized with the people of Pakistan during this difficult time.”
The statement added that it was especially aware of the durable ties between the two nations and the many families in the United Kingdom with narrow links with Pakistan.
He also praised the commitment of emergency services, volunteers and local communities, “who are working so hard and against probabilities so overwhelming to rescue those who are in danger and provide vital relief to those whose lives have been cruelly interrupted.”
