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PESHAWAR, Aug 19 (APP): Torrential rains and flash floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) have claimed 45 more lives in the past 24 hours, raising the overall death toll to 358, provincial Health Adviser Ehtesham Ali confirmed on Tuesday.
According to the KP Health Department, 45 fatalities and 33 injuries were reported within the last day alone.
Emergency medical teams have been deployed to flood-hit areas to provide urgent assistance.
A report issued by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) revealed that since the onset of heavy rains and flash floods, 358 people have died and 181 have been injured across the province.
Among the deceased are 287 men, 41 women, and 30 children. Injured victims include 144 men, 27 women, and 10 children.
The floods have also damaged 780 houses, with 431 partially and 349 completely destroyed. PDMA has warned of more heavy rains between August 17–19, with the current monsoon spell likely to continue until August 21.
Health Adviser Ehtesham Ali further disclosed that 822 cases of infectious diseases have been reported from flood-affected regions, with 442 new patients admitted to hospitals in the last 24 hours. No fatalities from these diseases have been recorded so far.
Currently, 32 medical camps are operational where 7,447 patients have been treated. However, 46 health facilities have sustained damage, four of which were completely destroyed.
Meanwhile, KP Information Adviser Muhammad Ali Saif stated that relief and rehabilitation operations are in full swing across all affected districts. A new digital app has been launched to ensure transparent and timely compensation payments to victims.
So far, Rs. 3 billion has been released for relief efforts. Rescue teams have evacuated 5,210 people, with the support of 6,000 personnel, five army helicopters, and one provincial government helicopter. In addition, 176 rescue centers have been established in flood-hit districts.
Authorities have cleared 100 blocked roads, while 89 trucks of relief goods have already been delivered, with more en route. Relief items distributed so far include 2,800 tents, 6,100 mattresses, 2,700 hygiene kits, 4,300 kitchen sets, 3,100 tarpaulins, 7,400 mosquito nets, 6,800 blankets, and 500 gas cylinders.
Moreover, 289 medical camps are operational, where all reported cases of infectious diseases are being treated on time.
In Shangla and Buner, the Pakistan Army’s Corps of Engineers has been conducting relief operations. The Pir Baba Bypass has been reopened for all traffic, while debris removal in Pir Baba Bazaar is ongoing to restore normalcy for residents.