ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has contacted Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Governor Faisal Karim Kundi to express sorrow over the loss of lives caused by recent cloudbursts and flash floods in the region.
In a telephone call with the KP leadership, the Prime Minister conveyed his condolences over the tragic loss of lives and property in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Kashmir, where heavy rains, landslides, and flash floods have caused large-scale devastation.
The Prime Minister directed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to fully assist the provincial government in its rescue and relief operations. He further instructed that emergency relief goods be sent to the affected areas of KP on a priority basis via trucks.
PM Shehbaz assured the KP Chief Minister that the federal government would extend all possible support to the province. He stated that tents, medicines, and food supplies were already being dispatched to the disaster-hit areas.
“Our thoughts and sympathies are with the victims during this difficult time,” the Prime Minister said.
According to official figures, more than 200 people have died and many others have been injured across various districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Kashmir due to floods, landslides, and cloudbursts.
Buner district has been the hardest hit, with over 150 confirmed deaths and many still missing. Entire villages were swept away, homes collapsed, and livestock and vehicles were washed away. A state of emergency has been declared in the district.
In Bajaur, 21 people were killed due to flash floods and landslides following a cloudburst. In Mansehra’s Dheri Haleem village, 16 bodies were recovered from the floodwaters in Batagram.
Buner, Bajaur, Mansehra, and Batagram have officially been declared disaster-hit areas.
Tragically, a Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government helicopter heading for relief operations in Bajaur crashed, killing all five onboard, including two pilots and three crew members.
