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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Sean McPolin

Heartbreaking scale of Pakistan floods as authorities confirm 1,000 lives lost

Floods in Pakistan have killed more than 1,000 and affected around 33 million people.

The deadly weather has been labelled a "serious climate catastrophe" by the country's climate minister as the death roll rises.

Shocking photos and videos of the deadly monsoon show wrecked villages and displaced villagers.

"I haven't seen destruction of this scale, I find it very difficult to put into words ... it is overwhelming,' said Pakistan's Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari.

Soldiers are currently working to save villagers from the flash flooding and heavy rain which has left millions of people stranded or needing relief camps.

Kamran Bangash, a spokesman for the government, said 180,000 people have been evacuated from Charsadda and 150,000 from Nowshehra district villages.

Millions of people have been affected by the flooding which has been declared a "climate emergency" (AFP via Getty Images)
More than 1,000 people have been killed because of the flooding (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
A rescue operation is currently underway from the government (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Khaista Rehman, 55, took shelter with his wife and three children at the side of the Islamabad-Peshawar highway after his home in Charsadda was submerged overnight, Mail Online reports.

He said: "Thank God we are safe now on this road quite high from the flooded area.

"Our crops are gone and our home is destroyed but I am grateful to Allah that we are alive and I will restart life with my sons."

The unprecedented monsoon season has affected all four of the country's provinces. Nearly 300,000 homes have been destroyed, numerous roads rendered impassable and electricity outages have been widespread, affecting millions of people.

Mr Rehman said: "We could well have one fourth or one third of Pakistan under water".

"This is something that is a global crisis and of course we will need better planning and sustainable development on the ground … We'll need to have climate resilient crops as well as structures," she added.

Military chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa visited flood-affected areas of southern Sindh province to expedite relief work there.

Meanwhile, the Pakistani army said in a statement that it airlifted 22 tourists who were trapped in a valley in the country's north to safety.

Pakistani people moving to a safer place on the boat here in Dadu (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

The footage posted on Twitter shows a hotel collapsing into the river.

A second angle shows people running from the scene as the hotel crumbles.

Floods have damaged 170,000 homes, washed away roads and destroyed nearly 150 bridges, according to the National Disaster Management Authority.

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif tweeted: "The ongoing rain spell has caused devastation across the country. Together we will build back better."

He blamed the 'horrors of climate change' for the tragedy.

Later, he met with foreign diplomats and representatives of international aid agencies to brief them about the damage.

The government is trying to rescue people with helicopters hovering over the waters (Twitter)

A government statement quoted Mr Sharif as saying 300 children were among the dead.

Mr Sharif visited flood-hit areas in Sindh province on Friday, assuring flood victims of the government's support.

Some 6,500 Pakistani troops are taking part in the search and rescue operations and have so far evacuated more than 40,000 people.

The United Nations said on Thursday it has allocated three million dollars (£2.5million) for UN aid agencies and their partners in Pakistan to respond to the floods.

The UN said: "This will be used for health, nutrition, food security, and water and sanitation services in flood-affected areas, focusing on the most vulnerable."

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