ISLAMABAD:
At least 37 more people died during the past 24 hours in flood-related incidents across the country, taking the death toll from the catastrophe to 1,545.
According to data released by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), during the past 24 hours, 32 people perished in Sindh and five in Balochistan.
Moreover, at least 92 individuals were injured during the same time period, including 91 in Sindh and one in Gilgit-Baltistan, taking the total number of injured to 12,850.
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The NDMA report added that as many as 104,072 houses were damaged during the previous day and at least 8,252 heads of cattle were killed in flood-related incidents.
Flood losses may cross $40bn
Earlier this week, the country feared that floods might have caused over $40 billion in economic losses and damages as the National Flood Response Coordination Centre (NFRCC) dismissed the initial assessment of $18 billion.
The $40 billion losses were flagged in a flood response centre meeting during a discussion on an interim report titled “An Early Assessment of Flood Impact on Pakistan’s Economy”, presented by the Ministry of Finance.
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal heads the NFRCC – a joint civil-military body set up to monitor and coordinate relief and rehabilitation work.
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“The devastating conditions suggest that the scale of flood losses is in the range of $30 billion to over $40 billion,” said Iqbal while talking to The Express Tribune.
It is for the first time that the $40 billion loss estimate has been given, which is three times more than the initial estimate of $10 billion to $12 billion. The new number is even far higher than the $30 billion figure given by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres last week.