ISLAMABAD, July 14: Army personnel with the help of helicopters have rescued 160 people, including six foreigners, in flood-hit areas of Sindh. According to a relief and rescue update released by the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the foreigners who were rescued included three Chinese nationals, two Omanese nationals and one Malaysian, stranded in flood water in Qambar district.

As many as 83 other people were also rescued from the same district while 72 others were rescued by Army Aviation helicopters from flood-hit areas in Jacobabad.

The water level is receding in flood-hit areas of Balochistan. According to an estimate 1,422 villages (1,226 in Qambar) have been affected in Sindh where army troops along with civil administration are providing relief to 450,283 affected people. So far 111 sorties of C-130 aircraft of the PAF and 851 sorties of Army Aviation helicopters have been flown to provide relief to two million affected people of 5,000 villages in Sindh and Balochistan. The road communication in most parts of flood-hit areas of Balochistan has been restored by army engineers and the Frontier Works Organisation.

Karachi- Kalat-Quetta-Chaman highway is open for all types of traffic. However, efforts are in hand to repair the Jumani Bridge. A temporary bridge (Compact 200) is being launched at Jumani.

Frontier Works Organisation teams are working on the Coastal Highway. Army engineers are employed at Barija and Shahdadkot and on Sorab-Hosha and Natal-Jhal Magsi road.

Army troops distributed 3 tons of ration and 30 tents in Khuzdar, 15 tons of relief items and 50 tents in Gwadar, 51 tons of ration and 40 cartons of mineral water in Jacobabad, 24 tons of ration and 205 tents in Turbat and 5,817 packets of dry ration in Moenjodaro.

Similarly, relief and rescue efforts are also continuing in Qambar, Dadu and other affected areas of Sindh. Teams of volunteer doctors who have gone from Punjab and civil doctors along with army doctors are establishing medical camps in flood-hit areas of Sindh and Balochistan.

Thousands of patients are being provided free medicines and medical care in these camps.

Mobile medical teams are also providing relief to affected people who are unable to come to the medical camps.