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111 people killed, 150 others still missing in floods-hit SW Pakistan
www.chinaview.cn 2007-07-02 21:44:42
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    ISLAMABAD, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Latest information showed that floods in southwestern Pakistani province of Baluchistan have left 111 killed and some 150 others missing, officials said Monday.

    Heavy rains lashed several parts of Baluchistan in the wake of a tropical cyclone which hit southern Pakistan's coastal areas on June 25-26, causing severe damages to civic infrastructure in the province.

    Local TV channel screen shows that floods have inundated houses and disrupted roads and bridges, and many areas were covered by yellow water.

    Around 100,000 people were displaced while one million people in some 12 districts of Baluchistan were affected by the calamity, said Farooq Ahmed Khan, Chairman of National Disaster Management Authority.

    The cyclone "Yemyn" that moved from southern Pakistani port city of Karachi northwest to Baluchistan on June 26, not only hit the coast belt but also affected the interiors of the province, the official said.

    Pakistan armed forces started large-scale rescue and relief operation since five days ago, dispatching over a dozen of helicopters and several C-130 aircraft to worst-hit areas to rescue affectees and delivering relief goods like food, tents and blankets.

    So far, 15,000 tents and 30,000 blankets have been issued to the needy and arrangements are being made to improve the stock of these items to meet the future requirement, according to relief officials.

    However, the relief operation had at one time been hindered by bad weather and continuous torrential rains, with emergency supply unable to reach affectees in some areas timely, which even sparked riots by angry affectees.

    The situation is by no ways unmanageable though it is serious, said Farooq Ahmed Khan.

    Earlier, Pakistan's federal government announced 200 million rupees(about 3.33 million U.S. dollars) as relief fund for Baluchistan.

    Authorities would set up a review committee soon to asses the damages caused by the floods, a decision made public after a visit of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to the affected areas on July 1.

    Aziz has also invited international community and relief organization to offer assistance to floods-hit people in Pakistan, according to state media.

    Military and relief officials said more and more affectees are being shifted to safer places, and maximum people in the low-lying areas of Baluchistan have been evacuated.

    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.

    The officially confirmed rain-related death toll in Sindh was 100, out of which 90 casualties occurred in Karachi, while private media reports said over 220 people died in the port city since late June.

    Northwestern Pakistan's Khyber tribal region also saw torrential rains last week, 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.

    Local reports said the situation might worsen in the coming couple of days as rains are still expected in Baluchistan and Sindh provinces.

Editor: Bi Mingxin
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