Pakistan floods toll rises to 110
Tuesday, 3 July 2007
QUETTA, (Pakistan), July 2 (AFP): Floods unleashed by a tropical cyclone and a week of torrential rain have killed 110 people and affected 1.5 million in southern Pakistan, officials said MondayGiant swathes of the normally desert southwestern province of Baluchistan remain under water following the impact of Cyclone Yemyin last Tuesday plus heavy monsoon rains over the weekend.
Helicopters are still plucking survivors from their rooftops or dropping food to cut-off mud-brick villages, while other victims are living in camps, television footage showed.
Provincial relief commissioner Khuda Bakhsh Baloch said flash floods at the weekend in Baluchistan's Khuzdar area killed at least 35 people, while other bodies had been found, bringing the toll for the week to at least 110.
More than 200,000 are homeless and 1.5 million people in total are affected.
"All these figures are likely to go up," Baloch said.
"We don't know many people have been swept away and how many villages are wiped out. We have still not reached some far-flung areas."
Police and senior relief officials said Sunday that the death toll was 60.
Around 20 helicopters were engaged in relief and rescue operations while eight C-130 Hercules cargo planes were bringing in food, water, tents and medicines, Baloch said.
Helicopters airlifted some 800 marooned people from different places and also supplied food to passengers stranded on roads and highways on Sunday, he added.
Meanwhile two people made homeless by floods died of snake bites in the neighbouring province of Sindh, where several inland areas have been completely cut off by floods, officials said.
Helicopters are still plucking survivors from their rooftops or dropping food to cut-off mud-brick villages, while other victims are living in camps, television footage showed.
Provincial relief commissioner Khuda Bakhsh Baloch said flash floods at the weekend in Baluchistan's Khuzdar area killed at least 35 people, while other bodies had been found, bringing the toll for the week to at least 110.
More than 200,000 are homeless and 1.5 million people in total are affected.
"All these figures are likely to go up," Baloch said.
"We don't know many people have been swept away and how many villages are wiped out. We have still not reached some far-flung areas."
Police and senior relief officials said Sunday that the death toll was 60.
Around 20 helicopters were engaged in relief and rescue operations while eight C-130 Hercules cargo planes were bringing in food, water, tents and medicines, Baloch said.
Helicopters airlifted some 800 marooned people from different places and also supplied food to passengers stranded on roads and highways on Sunday, he added.
Meanwhile two people made homeless by floods died of snake bites in the neighbouring province of Sindh, where several inland areas have been completely cut off by floods, officials said.