ISLAMABAD, Aug 19 (KUNA) -- At least 17 more people were killed in Pakistan's northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province due to heavy downpour causing landslides rising the death toll in the province due to rain related incidents to 352, said authorities on Tuesday.
According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) of KPK, at least 352 people have died in rain-related incidents since August 15 where Buner district reported the highest death toll of 225 people.
The PDMA reported the total number of houses damaged throughout the province was 780, out of which 349 were completely destroyed and another 431 sustained partial damage. The number of cattle that perished was 427.
The provincial government has declared this an emergency as rescue and relief operations are underway in the affected areas where around 6,000 personnel are currently deployed as part of the rescue efforts.
The spokesperson for Pakistan military's media wing Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), Director General Lt General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry in a media briefing on Tuesday said that the Army, under the Chief of Army Staff's direction, had intensified relief operations, rescuing 6,903 people and providing medical support through nine camps in KPK, adding that so far, 25,000 people had been relocated to safe areas.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecasted that the current cycle of rains will continue intermittently until August 21. (end) sbk.aai