- Gandapur says govt releases Rs6.5b for relief, another Rs5b to follow, saying all payments made via digital system for transparency
- Says rains since Aug 15 claim 406 lives, injured 245 across KP with 664 houses destroyed, 2,431 partially damaged; 511 roads and 77 bridges hit
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur said Thursday that recent cloudbursts and heavy rains since August 15 have devastated several districts, claiming 406 lives, injuring 245, destroying 664 houses and partially damaging 2,431, besides affecting 511 roads, 77 bridges, and 2,123 shops.
He said swift mobilisation of rescue teams saved 5,500 people, with 2,061 personnel and 176 vehicles and boats deployed. So far, 136 roads and 65 bridges have been restored, 119,000 people provided cooked food, 125 trucks of relief goods dispatched, and 70 medical camps established.
The CM announced an enhanced compensation package: Rs2 million for families of the deceased, Rs500,000 for the injured, Rs1m for destroyed houses, Rs300,000 for partially damaged homes, and for the first time, Rs500,000 for destroyed shops and Rs100,000 for cleanup. Farmers and livestock owners are also covered.
He said Rs654m has already been paid to families of 350 deceased persons, while further disbursements worth billions are being prepared through a digital system to ensure transparency. The province has so far released Rs6.5bn to the Relief Department, with another Rs5bn to follow.
Gandapur pledged full rehabilitation, relocation of communities from high-risk areas, and state care for orphaned children. He also expressed solidarity with flood victims in Punjab, assuring that KP stands ready to assist them.
