Thousands of people have died and hundreds of others are stranded across the river in the Manoor valley of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province after massive flooding caused by monsoon rain.
In a handwritten note that villagers threw, they noted that they needed supplies and medicine, asking for assistance as the bridge was left devastated by the flood. The Manoor valley is located in the mountains of Kaghan, a famous tourist destination in Pakistan.
Massive Floods in Pakistan
The valley has been hit by a torrential flood that initially killed at least 15 people, including women and children. Flash floods swept away the only concrete bridge that was connecting the scenic valley to the main city.
Since the destruction of the bridge, all the villages on the other side of the river have been cut off and residents are waiting for help. In Manoor, two bridges have completely collapsed and a temporary wooden bridge has been erected to help villages traverse the area.
A woman who was sitting with her belongings said that her home and her children were on the other side of the river. The resident said that she has been waiting there for two days, thinking that the government could come and repair the bridge, as per BBC.
However, authorities said that people should start walking around the other side of the mountain to reach their homes. The trek is estimated to take about eight to 10 hours and the woman questioned how she would be able to walk that far.
In the area, men, women, and children could be seen sitting outside of their mud houses on the other side of the river. The handwritten letter was the only way that the stranded residents were able to communicate because mobile networks did not operate in the area.
According to CNN, the severe rains and flood have already taken the lives of at least 1,033 people, including 348 children, and left 1,527 others injured since mid-June. In a statement, Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) added that 199 people had died and 71 injured in the last 24 hours alone.
Thousands Dead
On Thursday, Pakistan's Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman said that at least 33 million people have been affected by the disaster. She called the floods "unprecedented" and "the worst humanitarian disaster of this decade."
Rehman added that the country was not going through its eighth cycle of monsoon while normally it should only have three to four cycles of rain. The official noted that the percentages of super flood torrents were shocking. She also highlighted, in particular, the impact on the southern portion of the nation, adding that "maximum relief efforts are underway."
The situation is exacerbated by the fact that many residents are now starting to get sick due to a lack of supply and worse living conditions. Hundreds of people who fled one of the worst-hit districts of Pakistan pitched tents on the only high ground they could find, on the raised banks of the Saifullah Magsi canal, The Guardian reported.
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