Balochistan Floods Kill 111, Wash Away 6,700 Homes.

ISLAMABAD -- Balochistan Chief SecAretary Abdul Aziz AqiAli said Thursday that flash floods triggered by the torrential rains claimed several more lives during the last 24 hours, raising the death toll to 111.

'The provincial govAernment is facing a huge challenge to cope with the situation arising afAter the heavy downApour and flash floods,' he said during a press briefing here at JamaAli Auditorium of CivAil Secretariat. Chairman NHA Khuram Agha and DG PDMA Naseer Nasar were also present.

Sharing details about the damages caused by rain and relief operaAtion in the calamity-hit areas, he said that10 districts of the province were worst affected by the monsoon rains as, during the recent monAsoon spell, it rained 500 percent more than it was recorded during the last 30 years.

About colossal damAages caused to property, infrastructure and liveAstock, the CS said that rain and floods have damaged over 10,000 houses, of them 6700 are completely destroyed. It caused damages to at least six main bridges, approximately 565 km of road while712 livestock also died.

'DAMAGE ASSESSMENT'

Prime Minister Shehbaz SharAif constituted a committee to assess the damage caused by monsoon rains and floods in different parts of the country and directed the federal minAisters to immediately visit the flood affected areas in the counAtry. The PM issued theses direcAtives while chairing a meeting in Islamabad on Thursday.

Shehbaz Sharif said the comAmittee comprising of federAal ministers should visit all the affected areas in the next four days and submit report to him, so that further measures could be taken. Shehbaz SharAif announced to enhance the compensation of injured peoAple from fifty thousand rupees to two hundred thousand ruApees. The Prime Minister said short, medium and long term plans will be formulated in the light of recommendations of the committee on the fourth of next month. Abolishing the sepAarate assistance for the mud and concrete houses, he directAed to provide equal assistance to all the affected houses. He said the assistance for the parAtially damaged houses should be enhanced from twenty five thousand rupees to two hunAdred and fifty thousand rupees whilst that of fully damaged houses to five hundred thouAsand rupees from fifty thousand rupees. The Prime Minister said the federal government will exAtend full cooperation to the proAvincial governments to cope with the impact of the natural calamity.

Shehbaz Sharif said the nationAal...