PM Shehbaz reaches Balochistan to review work on damaged infrastructure

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday arrived in Balochistan where he is scheduled to visit the flood-affected Kichi area and review rehabilitation work on different infrastructure projects, Aaj News reported.

The premier will also take an aerial view of the damaged railway bridge in Bibi Nani and the restoration work on the Panjra bridge which was completely swept away by the floods.

Body takes stock of calamitous state of country

On the occasion, the relevant authorities will brief the prime minister on the losses and the rehabilitation work.

The toll from cataclysmic floods in Pakistan continued to climb on Saturday with 57 more deaths, 25 of them children, as the country grapples with a relief and rescue operation of nearly unprecedented scale.

Reports suggest that Balochistan received 436% more rain than the 30-year average this monsoon.

The province has seen widespread devastation, including a washing away of key rail and road networks as well as breakdowns in telecommunications and power infrastructure, the meeting was told.

The country has received nearly 190% more rain than the 30-year average in the quarter through August, totaling 390.7 millimetres (15.38 inches). Sindh province, with a population of 50 million, was hardest hit, getting 464% more rain than the 30-year average.

Initial estimates of the damage have been put at $10 billion, but surveys are still being conducted along with international organizations.