Islamabad
The relief items comprising tonnes of ration, water, tents, first aid kits and many other necessary items were being dispatched in the heavy snowfall, rains and avalanche affected areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Balochistan, Gilgit Baltistan (GB) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on a war footing basis. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Wednesday issued the details of all relief items, provided by the NDMA, Provincial Disaster Management Authorities (PDMAs) and State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA).
A total of 1,957 tents, 1,250 blankets, tarpaulins 250, ration of 12 tonnes, plastic mats 2,250, sheets 150, solar lights 550, kitchen sets 100, mattresses 150, 300 sleeping mats, miscellaneous clothing 2,700, shoes 350, first aid kits 250, lanterns 50, 60 tonnes of salt and 800 liters of water was provided to the victims in the following disaster hit areas. Besides this three more helicopters carrying relief items were sent to Neelum Valley. The report underscored that heavy snowfall in areas of KP, AJK and GB had occurred that had wreaked damages of life and property whereas an avalanche was occurred in Surgan, Kel, Lawat, Chaknat, Neelum Valley and AJK.
In AJK the almost 76 people had died, 53 had injured and 198 houses had damaged. The second highest death toll took place in Balochistan where 20 people had died in various incidents and 23 injured. In KP two people were died and eight injured whereas the least damage was witnessed in GB with two deaths and six injured and three houses were damaged. The report noted that over two dozen various roads and highways were blocked in AJK, Balochistan, KP and GB. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Alpuri to Khawazakhela Road, Bahrain-Kalam Road, Malamjabba Road, Lowari Top Road, Kalash Valley Road, Drosh-Shishkoh Road, Chitral-Garam Chashma Road, Chitral-Booni Road, Chitral City Road, Local Roads in Upper Dir, Link Roads in District Abottabad, Kalabagh-Nathiagali Road, MNJ-Naran Road and Karakoram Highway (KKH)in District Kohistan were blocked.
In Balochistan, Killa Abdullah Link Roads and N-50 Quetta-Kahnozai was blocked due to heavy snowfall. In AJK’s Neelum Valley, Sharda Road, Bagh-Chikar Road, Bagh-Lasdana Road, Leepa Valley Road, Mehmoodgali-Abbaspur Road and Haji Peer-Aliabad Road were blocked due to heavy snowfall and avalanches. However, in GB Gilgit-Astore Road, Karchik Road and Tangir Road were blocked after heavy snowfall occurred in the area. The NDMA report mentioned that efforts were in hand to clear the Highways and Link Roads by all PDMAs, National Highway Authority, Frontier Works Organization and respective Construction and Works Departments.—APP
