PESHAWAR:The funeral prayers of the eight children who died in a landslide in Martung area of District Shangla were offered on Friday.
A large number of people from political, social and different schools of thought participated in the funeral prayer.
However, the people in the area are depressed after the tragic accident where eight children were buried.
It was certainly a big tragedy struck as the kids were playing cricket in a local ground when they were buried alive by the landslide.
It is worth mentioning here that in the devastating incident, eight children lost their lives in a landslide near a cricket ground in the mountainous Shangla district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Thursday last.
The local residents initially started the rescue operation, but for two hours, there was no sign of official assistance.
Eventually, the Rescue 1122 teams arrived at the difficult-to-access area and commenced the rescue efforts by recovering the victims trapped.
The district had experienced heavy rainfall throughout the night, and the possibility of landslides was apparent in certain areas.
Tragically, the children overlooked the risks associated with the weather conditions.
In response to such monsoon-related disasters, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), working in conjunction with the relief, rehabilitation, and settlement department, is developing a monsoon contingency plan for 2023.
This plan aims to identify hazards, vulnerabilities, and risks associated with the monsoon season, as well as mapping resources to minimize disaster risks and ensure a coordinated response. Multiple pre-planning and orientation meetings have been held with representatives from provincial line departments to establish roles and responsibilities.
The PDMA is determined to reduce the impact of natural hazards on life and property, especially considering the significant losses suffered by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa due to floods in 2022. The vulnerability of the region to climate contingencies during both summers and winters necessitates a comprehensive approach.
The Monsoon Contingency Plan categorizes districts based on vulnerability and risk assessment, allowing for targeted mitigation measures.
The PDMA, in coordination with stakeholders, is implementing proactive preparedness measures to streamline response efforts at the provincial and district levels.
This inclusive exercise takes stock of existing resources, conducts hazard analyses, and estimates likely relief caseloads as part of the planning process.
Speaking about the ongoing efforts, the spokesperson for PDMA highlighted the organization’s commitment to disaster management, risk reduction, and preparedness.
The installation of a flood early warning system in the upper catchment areas of the province demonstrates their proactive approach. This system, covering seven main rivers in the region, helps monitor water levels and enhances preparedness for potential flood events.
The tragedy in Shangla district underscores the need for robust disaster management measures and heightened awareness of the risks posed by natural hazards.
Efforts to strengthen preparedness, response, and mitigation measures are crucial in safeguarding lives and minimizing the impact of such unfortunate incidents in which eight bodies were recovered with an injured girl out of the rubbles and moved to the hospital, said Deputy Commissioner Shangla Hassan Abid.
The children were buried underneath a massive landslide while playing cricket, he said. He said the children were all aged between 12 and 15. He said, nearly 15 of them had set up a cricket pitch close to a sand rock when it collapsed after a spell of rain and buried them, he said.
He said soon after the incident, local rescue teams, later joined by the Pakistan army, pulled out eight bodies after hours of effort while one of the remaining children was critically injured, while the rest were unharmed.
The abnormal monsoon rains and glacial melt in Pakistan last season had caused historical flooding from the mountainous northern ranges to the southern plains, killing over 1,700 people, displacing millions and inflicting billions of dollars in losses. However, the disaster management authorities have already issued alerts of heavy rains, raising risks of fresh flooding for the current monsoon season.