LONDON: The UK is to send £1.5 million ($1.76 million) in aid to Pakistan in the aftermath of devastating floods.
A state of emergency has been declared across much of the country, with nearly 1,000 people killed in the country since June and 700,000 homes destroyed after the annual monsoon season arrived unusually early.
The southern provinces of Sindh and Balochistan have been hardest hit by the deluges, with the former experiencing rainfall 800 percent higher than expected in August.
Millions are now thought to be homeless and in need of aid, with the UN set to launch a global appeal early next week.
Lord Tariq Ahmad, the UK’s minister of state for South and Central Asia, said: “The floods in Pakistan have devastated local communities and the UK is providing up to £1.5 million to help the immediate aftermath.
“We are witnessing the catastrophe that climate change can cause and how it impacts the most vulnerable.
“My thoughts and prayers are with all the victims and their families, and I would like to pay tribute to everyone involved in the relief efforts. We are also working directly with the Pakistan authorities to establish what further assistance and support they require.
“The UK stands with the people of Pakistan during this time of need.”
UK to send Pakistan £1.5m in emergency flood aid
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UK to send Pakistan £1.5m in emergency flood aid
- “We are witnessing the catastrophe that climate change can cause,” says minister
Death toll in Karachi shopping plaza fire rises to 10 as search continues for dozens missing
- Mayor Murtaza Wahab said on Monday that four more bodies were recovered overnight, raising the death toll to at least 10
- The fire broke out late Saturday. According to Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, families reported about 60 people missing
KARACHI: The death toll from a massive fire at a shopping plaza in Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi, rose to at least 10 after rescuers recovered four more bodies from the badly damaged building during an overnight search for dozens of people reported missing, officials said Monday.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze at the multistory Gul Plaza late Sunday nearly 24 hours after it erupted, allowing rescue teams to enter the building to rescue those trapped there. Mayor Murtaza Wahab said four more bodies were recovered overnight, raising the death toll to at least 10.
Local media reported that at least 14 people died in the blaze.
The fire broke out late Saturday and spread quickly through shops storing cosmetics, garments and plastic goods, said Dr. Abid Jalal Sheikh, the city’s chief rescue officer.
On Sunday night, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said families had reported about 60 people missing, prompting authorities to launch the search operation. Relatives of the missing gathered outside the heavily damaged building Monday, many in tears, witnesses said.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known. Police said an investigation was underway.
Karachi, the capital of Sindh province, has a history of deadly fires, often blamed on poor safety standards and illegal construction. In November 2023, a fire at a shopping mall in the city killed 10 people and injured 22 others.
A massive fire at a garments factory in Karachi in 2012 killed 260 people.
