By NNN-APP
Islamabad : Relief and Rescue operations by Armed Forces of Pakistan picks up pace on the sixth day Monday in flood-hit areas of Balochistan and elsewhere in the country.
“Sixteen Army Aviation helicopters are participating in relief and rescue operations in Turbat, Sibbi and Jacobabad districts,� said ISPR in a news release updating on the devastating situation in the aftermath of cyclone Yamyin and rescue and relief efforts being done in affected areas by the Armed forces of the country.
In Turbat, nine helicopters are providing relief to the needy people. The relief goods brought forward from Chaklala Airbase and Karachi are being sent through these helicopters to affected areas.
Relief is being provided to villages which are most affected. During the last five days Army Aviation helicopters have flown 64 sorties in flood hit areas of Balochistan to rescue thousands of people to safer places.
Two Seaking helicopters of Pakistan Navy have reached Gwadar and are participating in the relief operations.
Pakistan Navy ship PNS Tariq is again being sent along with necessary relief items to Pasni and Ormara for relief and rescue operations in the coastal belt. Medical teams of Pakistan Navy are busy in providing relief to the patients in Gwadar and Ormara.
Diving teams have also reached in the area and are taking part in rescue operations where required.
Two MI-17 helicopters of Pakistan Air Force have reached Karachi for relief and rescue operations in Balochistan. Ten sorties of C-130 aircraft of the PAF with relief goods were sent on to Turbat, Gwadar, Jacobabad and Sibbi. Twelve sorties are planned Monday, six for Turbat, three for Gwadar, one for Ormara and two for Jacobabad.
Since the start of relief and rescue operations, 36 sorties of C-130 aircraft of PAF have shifted 400 tons of relief goods from PAF base Chaklala and Karachi to Turbat, Gwadar, Pasni, Jacobabad and Sibbi for distribution among affected people of Balochistan.
The relief items include food bags, rice, tents, mattresses, mineral water, medicines, water tanks and other miscellaneous relief items.
Pakistan Army Engineers and troops of Frontier Works Organisation are busy round the clock in repair and rehabilitation of the communication infrastructure in flood hit areas.
Efforts are in hand to re-establish the link between Turbat-Hosab and Hosab-Panjgur.
Around 400 men of the Frontier Works Organisation are busy in repair of Costal Highway. The repair work is continuing from both directions – Karachi to Pasni and Pasni to Karachi along the coastal highway.
FWO troops have been able to link Pasni with Coastal highway which was broken when 1.5 KM of road was washed away due to flash floods. Repair of Phor and Shahdicor Nullah embankment is continuing.
Troops of FWO are also working on Hingol River Crossing. Work is under progress but heavy flow of water is hampering the repair work.
Army Engineers have restored traffic on Sibbi-Quetta road after an exhaustive effort.
Meanwhile, 36-member medical team comprising six Army Doctors and 30 paramedics have been formed into various mobile units to carry out relief operations in areas which are most affected due to floods.
Doctors and Paramedics of Frontier Corps alongwith their civil counterparts have established medical camps in far flung areas of Turbat for providing relief to the affected people.
Pakistan Air Force has established separate relief camps in Pasni which have provided relief to thousands of people who are affected due to floods.
In the meantime, a team of Frontier Works Organisation has reopened Shahrahe Kuramaram Khunjrab Pass. The road was blocked due to heavy slides and traffic remained suspended for 22 day.
FWO and Chinese engineers team put their hands together to reopen the road. The road link has finally been established and traffic restored on this main link which joins two time tested friendly countries of Pakistan and China.
The Army Aviation helicopters carried out rescue operation in village Sonoghour, Tehsil Mastung, district Chitral to rescue and provided relief to more than 500 people who are stranded due to land slides.