Pakistani disaster relief officials issued fresh flood warnings yesterday after the death toll from heavy monsoon rains rose to 45 and waters paralysed parts of the largest city Karachi.
Flash floods caused by monsoon downpours inundated some main roads in the sprawling port city and swept away homes in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The National Disaster Management Authority warned that more thunderstorms and heavy rains were expected today and some rivers may flood.
Officials said at least 19 had died in the city to add to 20 dead in the northwest and six in the southwestern province of Baluchistan over the weekend.
Dr Semi Jamali at the Jinnah Hospital in Karachi said most deaths occurred due to electrocution or collapsing roofs and walls.
Army engineers helped relief efforts in Karachi where roads and streets were flooded and the city was paralysed.
Authorities in the city of 18 million, which contributes 42 percent of GDP, said it would take more than two days to clear up after the water flooded markets, buildings and houses and blocked roads. Hundreds of cars were half-submerged after poor sewerage and drainage systems choked due to garbage.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif sent three cabinet ministers to inspect damage in flood-hit areas.
Pakistan has suffered devastating monsoon floods for the past three years, including the worst in 2010 when catastrophic inundations killed about 1,800 people and affected 21 million.
According to the authority, the toll in Chitral is seven, with 60 homes damaged and 120 partially damaged. Deputy Commissioner Chitral, Shoaib Jadoon, said power to Upper Chitral was disconnected and Boni Reshun, Mastuj, Garam Chasma had been worst-hit.
Deputy Commissioner Peshawar, Zaheer Islam, said four people were killed in the city. Cooked food was being provided to the affected people and machines were installed to pump out water from houses on Charsadda Road and other areas.
Five people were confirmed dead in Tank, while 30 homes were left damaged in Ali Khel and 14 in Darakai. Four people died in Central Kurram, two in Khyber Agency and one in Lakki Marwat.
In Afghanistan, flash floods triggered by torrential rain have killed more than 40 people and destroyed dozens of houses.
Heavy flooding that began three days ago hit nine eastern and southeastern provinces and some districts of the capital Kabul.
Surobi district of Kabul was the hardest hit, Ghulam Farooq, the head of emergency operations for National Disaster Management Authority, said. “A primary report indicates that 35 people have died in Surobi district, eight in Khost and one in Kapisa,” he said, adding four were missing in eastern Nangarhar province.
Floodwaters destroyed hundreds of hectares of farmland and displaced hundreds of people, he said. “At least 237 houses have been destroyed in Surobi,” he said, adding emergency teams had been sent to assess the situation.
Harsh winters in Afghanistan and heavy snowfalls often cause swollen rivers that trigger flooding in spring and summer. But this year, Afghanistan witnessed one of the hottest summers in decades with temperatures reaching up to 50 degrees Celsius in some parts.
Source:Agencies
