Balochistan flood death toll reaches 250

At least two more people were confirmed dead in rain- and flood-related accidents during the last 24 hours in Balochistan, which has pushed the overall death toll in the province to 250, Geo News reported.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) confirmed in its report that two people lost their lives, saying the number of deaths since June 1 in the province has shot up to 250. The deceased include 117 men, 60 women and 73 children. The highest number of deaths was 27 in Quetta, 21 in Lasbela and 17 in Pishin.

Besides, 110 people have sustained injuries in various accidents during the rains in the province.

According to the PDMA report, heavy downpours and flash floods have damaged a total of 61,718 houses in Balochistan. Floods have swept away 145,936 livestock. Meanwhile, standing crops on two lakh acres of land were ruined.

According to reports, water has inundated Osta Muhammad tehsil of Jaffarabad. The flood situation in the Bhind area of ​​Sohbatpur is also critical as roads and houses are submerged under floodwater.

Meanwhile, another wet spell has started in Naseerabad once again.

Government officials say 1,136 people have died across the country since June when the monsoonal spell began. However, the final toll may be higher as hundreds of villages in the mountainous north have been cut off after flood-swollen rivers washed away roads and bridges.

Flood costs Pakistan $10b loss: Miftah Ismail

On August 29, Minister of Finance Miftah Ismail said that the flash floods had caused at least $10 billion in damage to various sectors of the country's already struggling economy.

Talking to the media, Miftah said that these were preliminary assessments that could change after conducting field surveys. Miftah stated that he does not currently have details on the losses suffered by each sector of the economy.

According to top officials, Islamabad will first seek financial assistance from the international community, and then it will assess the damages separately or jointly with the donors to determine the exact figures, but first and foremost, the government will focus on all-out relief efforts to rescue the victims.

Pakistan seeks world support

Last week, Pakistan urged the international community and philanthropists to help with relief efforts as it struggles to cope with the aftermath of torrential rains that triggered massive floods, killing more than 1100 people.

According to the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), heavy monsoon rainfall and floods have affected some 2.3 million people in Pakistan since mid-June, destroying at least 95,350 houses and damaging a further 224,100.

Sindh and Balochistan are the two most affected provinces. July's national rainfall was almost 200% above average, Sardar Sarfaraz, a senior official at the metrological office told Reuters on Wednesday, making it the wettest July since 1961.