Islamabad, July 27: At least 60 people have died and
tens of thousands rendered homeless in Pakistan's sindh
province due to floods triggered by heavy rains over the last
three days.
The rainfall, said to be the heaviest during the last
seven years, continued intermittently for the last 48 hours,
flooding about 1,500 villages and damaging thousands of mud
houses, media reports said today.
Army, para-military and police rescue teams have shifted
about 20,000 people to 25 relief camps set up in different
parts of the province. About 50,000 more are trapped by
floodwaters in the worst-affected Badin district.
Nine cities of the province have been declared
'calamity-hit'. Drainage systems there have collapsed and
streets are inundated with water mixed with sewerage.
Breaches have occurred in almost all the canals in the
area and rangers and army personnel are plugging these. Crops
of chilies, wheat, rice, tomato and banana trees standing on
about 45,000 acres have been badly damaged, the reports said.
According to Sindh relief commissioner, Ali Nawaz Malah,
60 people died in the rain -- 47 of them during the last 24
hours.
Brigadier Ali Mohsin, commanding the army rescue teams in
Badin, said security personnel were evacuating thousands of
trapped people with helicopter and boats.
Hundreds of policemen have been involved in the rescue
operation and their routine duties suspended.
Reports from southwestern Baluchistan said floods killed
three persons in the province.
Bureau Report.
