July 29, 2006	Saturday	Rajab 2, 1427

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ABBOTTABAD, July 28: The death toll from torrential rains and floods in Mansehra has risen to 14 while some people are reported to be missing in different areas. DPO Mansehra Waqas Nazeer told Dawn on Friday that rains played havoc in Jabouri village of Siran valley where six people of two families died when their houses were washed away by floodwater on Thursday night. The deceased include Noor-un-Nissa, Mursaleen Zaib-un-Nissa, Arshad, Mustaqeem and Khabeer.

He said that police established a main control room which was linked with flood relief centre to monitor the situation and evacuate the affected people from the area. He said additional police force had been deployed to shift the affected people to safe places.

The DPO said massive landslides created a lake near Gul Dheri and two chasms were created to release the water.

Army has also established a relief camp at Kushtara (Jaaba) where flood affectees, said to be more than 600, would be accommodated.

Sector commander for the earthquake relief centre Balakot Col Saeed Iqbal, who is supervising the rescue operation at Shohal Najaaf, said that the people affected by rains and flood would be shifted to a tent village in Jaaba village which was had been established for quake survivors.

With the cooperation of civil administration, all necessary facilities are being arranged for flood victims as at least 150 houses have been swept away by water.

Giving details of the rescue operation, Col Iqbal said that heavy machinery of army’s engineering unit was clearing the main and link roads while a temporary bridge had been made at Ghanool for light traffic.

Regarding land sliding, he said that a 300 meter wide and 30 feet high mass fell on the area and created a big lake in which the main road also submerged.

He said that two deaths were reported from Majala village. The deceased were trying to catch timber from flowing water but were swept away.

Earlier, three members of a family working with an NGO died in Gul Dheri, two died in village Pehora and another two in Majala, Balakot.

The district coordination officer Mansehra sent food, blankets, clothes and other items for the flood victims in Ghari Habibullah. Army and local communications department have succeeded in clearing some roads for light traffic while the road between Garhi Habibullah and Azad Kashmir is blocked at different points.