PM Nawaz, CM Sindh express grief over loss of lives in rain-hit Peshawar
The rain has claimed 45 lives while more than 200 people sustained injuries.
PESHAWAR (Dunya News) - Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif, who is in London, contacted Chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) via telephone and directed him to speed up the rescue activities in the rain affected areas of Peshawar, Dunya News reported on Monday.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed his grief over the loss of life and property.
"He extended condolences to the aggrieved families and asked provincial government and disaster management authorities to gear up rescue efforts so as to control the damage," a statement by his office said.
On the other hand, chief of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Altaf Hussain has demanded rescue process in KP on emergency basis so that the alarming situation can be overcome.
Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak has also directed the hospital’s management to provide treatment to the rain victims and has also announced compensation money of five hundred thousand rupees for each affected family.
Similarly, every injured person will get fifty thousand rupees as compensation money by government.
Meanwhile, prominent leaders of different parties including president Mamnoon Hussain, Governor Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and have also showed deep sorrow over the loss of lives.
Earlier, heavy rains and strong winds tore through Peshawar, Charsadda and their surrounding villages on Sunday, uprooting trees, collapsing buildings and killing at least 45 people, officials said.
The storm also injured over 200 people, provincial Information Minister Mushtaq Ghani said. Winds reached up to 110 kph, said Lutfur Rehman, a local disaster management official.
"It was very unusual. It took people by surprise," Rehman said. Pakistan typically experiences such rains during its monsoon season in June and July.
An emergency was declared at all local hospitals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where Peshawar is the capital, Ghani said.
The rain started Sunday afternoon and caused heavy damage to the region s infrastructure, city commissioner Munir Azam said. All flight operations at the Peshawar airport were suspended because more rain was expected overnight, he said.
The Pakistani army said troops were sent to the area to launch rescue and relief operations.
Rescuers rushed victims to hospitals as roads submerged in water hindered their operations. Ambulances and rescue vehicles found difficult to enter into some areas due to fallen trees and electric poles.
Residents carried some of the injured on their backs to cars heading to hospitals.
Sign boards and polls collapsed and several trees got uprooted following the disaster which caused most casualties.
The rescue officials have also confirmed that several children and minors are also among those injured who have been rushed to the hospital.
At least 4 persons died and another 11 injured as several roofs collapsed in Charsadda as well.
The provincial government has imposed emergency in hospitals across Peshawar. Talking exclusively to Dunya News, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Information Minister Mushtaq Ghani said that the metrological department did not issue any warning about the rains, thunderstorm and the hailstorm.
