The provincial government will not leave alone the victims of rains and landslides in the hour of need, said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak.
The CM also directed Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) to release additional funds to the severely affected districts of Upper Dir and Kohistan and provide relief goods to the district administration for distribution in Malakand and Hazara rain-hit regions.
PDMA spokesperson said the authority is providing all possible assistance and carrying out rescue and relief operations in the affected areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. An additional amount of Rs. 5.0 million has been released to Upper Dir while Rs. 10.0 million have been released to the Kohistan deputy commissioner for relief activities in the affected region, he said.
PDMA has dispatched 500 large food packages including sufficient quantity of wheat flour, sugar, rice, ghee, tea and pulses to Kohistan on Tuesday evening for the rains or landslide-affected families, he said.
He said the PDMA was in close contact with all the DCs monitoring the situation proactively, adding that 200 packs of each relief items i.e. tents, 400 blankets, mats and other required items have been dispatched from PDMA warehouse to district Swat, Shangla, Lower Dir and Upper Dir to DCs and distributed amongst the affected families.
Death toll climbs to 61:
Meanwhile, the death toll from rain-related incidents across the province has risen to 61 and the numbers may increase. According to a spokesman of Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), 52 people were injured and a total of 375 houses were damaged in the incidents caused by the ongoing rain and landslides. He said most of the casualties occurred due to roof collapse and landslide and most incidents were reported from Shangla, Swat, Kohistan, Mardan and other parts of the province. In village Athror, District Kohistan, landslide damaged road and 8 houses while 30 people remained stuck under the debris of houses and mountains. Rescue operation has been started and seven people have been recovered which include two dead and five seriously injured, while the search operation to rescue the remaining 23 people is underway.
The rain began late Saturday across the country including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which worst hit the inadequately-built homes, particularly in Malakand and Hazara Division, as they were most susceptible to collapse during heavy spring rains and landslide.
