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Pezeshkian condoles with Pakistan, offers support over deadly floods
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed condolences to the prime minister and the people of Pakistan following the deaths of hundreds of people in the country’s recent floods.
In a message on Saturday, Pezeshkian expressed the sincere sympathy of the Iranian government and people to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, as well as the government and people of Pakistan, following the devastating flood in parts of the neighboring country.
He also emphasized Iran’s readiness for any cooperation and humanitarian and relief assistance to the affected people.
Pakistani authorities said on Saturday that flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains across northern Pakistan have killed at least 344 people in just 48 hours.
The majority of deaths, 324, were reported in mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, the National Disaster Management Authority said.
Most were killed in flash floods and collapsing houses, while at least 137 others were injured.
The provincial rescue agency said around 2,000 rescue workers were engaged in recovering bodies from the debris and carrying out relief operations in nine districts, where rain was still hampering efforts.
"Heavy rainfall, landslides in several areas, and washed-out roads are causing significant challenges in delivering aid, particularly in transporting heavy machinery and ambulances," said Bilal Ahmed Faizi, spokesman for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's rescue agency.
The provincial government has declared the severely affected mountainous districts of Buner, Bajaur, Swat, Shangla, Mansehra and Battagram as disaster-hit areas.
The meteorological department has also issued a heavy rain alert for Pakistan's northwest, urging people to take "precautionary measures."
Eleven more people were killed in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, and another nine in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, national officials said.
Five more were killed when a local government helicopter crashed due to bad weather during a relief mission on Friday.
The monsoon season brings South Asia about three-quarters of its annual rainfall, vital for agriculture and food security, but it also brings destruction.
Landslides and flash floods are common during the season, which usually begins in June and eases by the end of September.
Pakistan is one of the world's most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change and is contending with extreme weather events with increasing frequency.
Monsoon floods in 2022 submerged a third of the country and killed around 1,700 people.