ISLAMABAD: Authorities in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Friday night ordered people to evacuate Nowshera and Charsadda districts after heavy flood swept away the Munda Headworks bridge.
Massive floods in Pakistan have affected more than 30 million people, with southern Sindh and southwestern Balochistan provinces impacted adversely. Since Friday, parts of the northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province have also faced severe destruction, including the scenic district of Swat.
Located in Charsadda, Munda Headworks of Mohmand Dam was one of the main barrages to control the flow of water in Swat river.
“Munda Headworks located near Charsadda district broke down at 11pm [on Friday] due to flood water. So there is a risk of flooding in Charsadda, Nowshera and surrounding areas,” the KP disaster management authority said in a tweet on Saturday.
“To save lives of your loved ones, leave your homes and reach the camps established by the government.”
The countrywide death toll from rains and floods has risen to 982, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Floods have affected millions across the length and breadth of the country.
The Nowshera district administration said water level in Kabul river was rising and recorded at 263,000 cusecs at 6am on Saturday, which was expected to peak to 400,000 cusecs in the next few hours.
“Please inform your loved ones and people nearby, do not delay and move to safer places,” Nowshera Deputy Commissioner Mir Reza Ozgen said on Twitter.
On Friday, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province declared an emergency in the Swat district, where officials said more than 1,000 tourists were stranded after massive floods washed away roads and key infrastructure in several areas.
Disastrous floods have also cut off the Balochistan province in Pakistan’s southwest and the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region from the rest of the country.
The South Asian country of 220 million people has already declared a national emergency as unprecedented monsoon rains continue to pummel the country for the third consecutive month.
