Asia-Pacific

Floods kill 241 in Pakistan

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-07-03 01:40

At least 241 have been killed and 204 missing in the flood related incidents in Pakistan, chief of the country's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said Monday.

A total of 111 died in southwest province of Baluchistan, 100 in south province Sindh and 30 in North West Frontier Province, NDMA Chairman Farooq Ahmad Khan told a news conference.

Heavy rains lashed different parts of Baluchistan in the wake of a tropical cyclone which hit southern Pakistan's coastal areas on June 26, causing severe damages to civic infrastructure in the province.

There are 175 missing persons in Baluchistan and 29 fishermen in Karachi, the port city and the provincial capital of Sindh, Khan said.

Some 1.1 million people have been affected in Baluchistan and 100,000 displaced, he said.

Responding to a question, the official said the relief efforts are expected to span over three months and then the rehabilitation would begin.

President's Flood Relief Fund has been instituted to receive donations from home and abroad for relief and rehabilitation of flood affected areas, a decision taken at a high level meeting held in Islamabad on Monday.

The current spell of floods and rains in southern Pakistan began some two weeks ago when storm and rains on June 23 hit Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.

Northwestern Pakistan's Khyber tribal region also saw torrential rains on June 28, resulting in dozens of deaths.

Pakistan is entering into rainy season, as the monsoon period usually begins from late June to September every summer in the South Asian country.