Monsoon floods leave 80 dead and thousands displaced in Pakistan
Islamanad (AsiaNews / Agencies) - At least 84 dead, 44 wounded and 80 thousand displaced: This is the provisional toll from the floods caused by heavy monsoon rains that have hit different parts of Pakistan in the last week. Officials warn that the situation could worsen and invite citizens to take all possible precautions to limit the number of victims.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) reports that at least 22 people died in the southern province of Sindh, 18 in Balochistan. Another 15 victims in Punjab and 14 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 12 others in the tribal regions and three in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
The Civil Defense are struggling
to recover the missing and to better coordinate the rescue operation, which is
still hampered in part by bad weather. The
authorities say 2,533 homes have been destroyed, while the emergency plan will
be strengthened for new - and even more devastating rains - forecast in the
next month.
In
Karachi and Peshawar the army has actively intervened in the rescue operations.
Even
the capital Islamabad was invaded by the waters, and many of the main roads
until yesterday were in critical condition, worsening already chaotic traffic.
In
the last three years Pakistan has been a victim of devastating floods caused by
monsoon rains, with hundreds of casualties, damage and fierce criticism of the
previous government, for failing to have an early warning system or adequate assistance
for victims. In
2010,
the worst floods in history killed nearly 2 thousand people and affected 21
million people. A
phenomena that was repeated a year later, with
hundreds of deaths and over five million displaced.
29/08/2022 11:37