The World Today
Guterres expresses his "deep regret" at the loss of life in the floods.
MADRID, 18 (EUROPA PRESS)
At least 300 people have died and more than 150 have been injured in northern Pakistan due to recent flooding and torrential rains, a forecast that local authorities have extended until Thursday, August 21.
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on Sunday raised the death toll to 323, including 273 men, 29 women, and 21 children, in several towns in Pakistan's northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with Buner being the worst-hit municipality with 209 fatalities so far.
The agency also put the number of injured at 156, including 123 men, 23 women, and 10 children, in a report confirming damage to 336 homes across the province, about 100 of which were completely destroyed.
Pakistani authorities have also warned of severe weather conditions, with the arrival of three new monsoon rainy seasons and an expected 50 percent increase in intensity, according to local television station SAMAA.
In response to this situation, provincial authorities have ordered the dispatch of 89 trucks with humanitarian aid and essential items such as tents, mattresses, and power generators to the towns affected by flooding and heavy rains.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed his "deep sorrow for the tragic loss of life" following the floods in both Pakistan and India.
"The Secretary-General offers his sincere condolences to the families of the victims and expresses his solidarity with those affected by this disaster," said his spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, in a statement, adding that the United Nations teams in both countries "are available" to assist the governments with any assistance they may require.
