ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR
Rescue and relief operations get underway in full swing in flood-hit districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as Pakistan Army engineers are working round the clock to clear blocked roads and restore access for stranded residents after deluge and landslides wreaked havoc in the province.
The Army Engineers Corps personnel have reopened the Pir Baba bypass for all kinds of traffic and cleared debris in the Pir Baba bazaar overnight to facilitate the local population in district Buner.
In addition, the road leading to Gokand village in Buner has been cleared at three points after heavy landslides, while the Aluch–Poran road has also been restored with the help of heavy machinery.
Urban Search and Rescue teams, assisted by heavy equipment, continue to carry out operations in Bishoni and Qadir Nagar. So far, five bodies have been recovered from a stream near Bishoni. The military has vowed to continue rescue operations until full restoration in all flood-affected areas.
Flash floods triggered by heavy rains and cloudbursts have killed at least 341 people in KP since Friday, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, with Buner emerging as the worst-hit district, where more than 200 lives were lost. Rescuers have faced difficulties moving heavy machinery into narrow streets, further slowing operations.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) reported that torrential rains and flooding this monsoon season have killed at least 660 people across the country since late June. KP registered the highest fatalities at 392, followed by Punjab with 164, Gilgit Baltistan with 32, Sindh with 29, Balochistan with 20, Azad Jammu and Kashmir with 15, and Islamabad with 8. Officials said cloudbursts — rare phenomena where more than 100mm of rain falls within an hour — wreaked havoc in Buner, with more than 150mm recorded on Friday morning alone.
