inp.polri.go.id – A total of 1,033 people have died and about a million homes destroyed in Pakistan's seasonal floods. The death toll increased after officers found 119 people in the last 24 hours.
Pakistan's National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) said more than two million hectares of cultivated crops were destroyed, 3,451 kilometers (2,150 miles) of roads were destroyed, and 149 bridges were washed away.
Meanwhile, officials said this year's floods affected more than 33 million people, and about one million homes were destroyed. In response to the flooding, the government declared a state of emergency and deployed the military to deal with what it called an "epic-scale disaster".
Apart from the data on the impact of flood victims, Sindh Province is preparing for further potential flooding from the overflowing northern river. The Sindhu River, also known as the Indus River, flows through the province and is fed by dozens of mountainous tributaries to the north. However, many rivers overflowed after heavy rains and melting glaciers.
Authorities warned that water flows were expected to reach Sindh in the next few days. "Right now the Indus is experiencing a big flood," Aziz Soomro, the supervisor of the dam controlling the flow of the river near Sukkur, told AFP on Sunday (28/8).
Thousands of people living near the river were ordered to evacuate from the danger zone. "People were told around 3am or 4am to evacuate from their homes. When floods hit the area, we had to save the children and women," said rescue worker Umar Rafiq.
Many rivers around the area overflowed and destroyed buildings and hotels. Guesthouse owner Nasir Khan, said he had lost everything. "The flood has washed what's left of the hotel," Khan said.
Meanwhile. Pakistan's capital Islamabad and Rawalpindi City escaped the worst floods. However, residents of this region are still feeling the effects. "Currently supplies are very limited. Tomatoes, peas, onions and other vegetables are not available because of the flood," said Muhammad Ismail, the caretaker of a produce shop in Rawalpindi.
The rainy season in Pakistan often brings destruction because it causes flash floods. On the other hand, this rainy season is very important for irrigating crops and filling lakes.
This floods was considered to be the equivalent of floods in 2010, which was recorded as the worst in Pakistan's history. That year, more than 2,000 people died and a fifth of the country was submerged in water.