FLOOD SITUATION IN SWAT

Pakistan witnessed another day of deaths and devastation on Saturday as

dozens of people were left dead and thousands stranded as a result of landslides
and floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) amid “high to very high” floods in
Kabul and Indus rivers.

Meanwhile, a rain emergency remained in place in several areas of the province

in the wake of unprecedented rains that pushed most of the country into a crisis.

At present, more than half of Pakistan is under water and millions of people
have been rendered homeless as a result of flash flooding generated by
abnormal monsoon rains which have entered their eighth spell with no signs of
subsiding.

According to the latest estimates, nearly 1,000 people, including 300 children,
have lost their lives because of rains and resulting flooding that has impacted
nearly 33 million people – almost 15 per cent of the country’s population.

A day after a rain emergency was declared in Swat, the district’s additional
deputy commissioner, Abrar Wazir, said on Saturday that landslides and floods
had claimed a total of 15 lives in different areas.

On Friday, 12 deaths in the district were linked to rains, floods and related
incidents.

The additional deputy commissioner said in a statement today that roads

spread over 130 kilometres had been damaged and 15 bridges were completely
destroyed due to floods so far, while over 100 houses and around 50 hotels and
restaurants were also destroyed.

The official said a team had been constituted to estimate the extent of further
damage.

Later in the day, KP Secretary of Information and Public Relations Arshad Khan
said that over 500,000 cusecs of water had flooded the province.

“The government has started rescue and relief efforts in all affected areas, while
the work on the restoration of road infrastructure is going on on an emergency
basis,” he told media persons in Swat.