Flood-Hit Towns In Grip Of Looting Spree As Death Toll Swells To 1,314.

RAJANPUR -- The death toll from the devastating floods in the country swelled to 1314 on Monday as at least 25 more people died overAnight in different areas during flash floods.

The National Disaster Management AuthoriAty (NDMA) said Monday that with 25 new deaths, the total fatalities in the floods since June swelled to 1314, nearly a third of them (458) are said to be children.

The southern Sindh province remains the worst affected where authorities have reportAed a total of 522 deaths so far, including 219 children.

The record floods have displaced more than 33 million people, with the counAtry now facing the spread of waterborne diseases and other health challenges in the affectAed regions.

Millions of people remain maArooned in the open without proper shelter or food, and are vulnerable to an outbreak of disAeases, including diarrhoea, reAspiratory infection and skin disAeases. While the authorities are struggling to ensure food supAplies in the flood affected disAtricts, the police in part of the Punjab province reported the inAcidents of looting of ration items.

Rajanpur District Police OffiAcer Ahmed Mohyuddin Monday claimed that they arrested 60 people on the charges of lootAing ration and other relief items meant to be distributed among the flood hit people.

The police, he said, registered at least 14 cases of looting inAcluding three in PS city RajanApur, two each in PS Sadar and PS Fazalpur, one each in PS Kot Mithan and PS Hajipur, and three in PS Rojhan Mazari. Over two dozen motorcycles were also taken in custody and raids were being conducted to arrest the rest of the accused, DPO said.

DG Khan Commissioner LiAaquat Ali Chattha took serious notice of the complaints and sought the help of police in enAsuring that the relief goods reach the deserving people. The DPO said that elements involved in looting relief goods meant for the people traumatised by floods was an unforgivable sin and promised there would be no leAniency for such offenders.

Bashir Lashari, a representaAtive from Al-Mustafa Welfare Trust registered in UK, told reAporters that a number of peoAple scaled up the wall of a factoAry near Rajanpur city and looted 100 ration bags.

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