LAHORE:Punjab Emergency Service Department (PESD) Director General Dr. Rizwan Naseer on Friday said that Rescue 1122 evacuated 198,511 flood affectees in the devastated flood hit southern Punjab districts—Rajanpur and DG Khan.
He said that Rescue Service deployed well-equipped teams to cope with possible flood challenges without affecting the emergency operations in the districts of Punjab.
Apart from this, Pakistan rescue team was also sent from Rescue Headquarters to ensure immediate evacuation and to supervise the overall flood rescue operations, he asserted.
Dr. Rizwan Naseer said that Rescue 1122 rescued 374,809 victims including 187,034 flood-affected people while responding to 138127 emergencies across Punjab with an average response time of seven minutes during August 2022.
He expressed these views while presiding over the monthly performance view meeting at Rescue Headquarters here. All Heads of wings of Emergency Services Headquarters and Academy were also present.
The Provincial Monitoring Officer (PMO) Ayaz Aslam briefed in detail about ongoing flood rescue operations and emergency operations conducted during last month.
He said that 1050 rescuers,140 boats with 149 OBMs, 83 ambulances, five logistic trucks, 7 boat carrier trucks, and 9 water bowsers were deployed in flood-affected districts of DG Khan and Rajanpur.
He briefed that additional rescue teams from 14 districts along with resources were also deployed in south Punjab to meet the flood rescue operations.
The PMO said that resources were deployed immediately in main flood-affected districts Rajanpur, DG Khan, Mianwali, and Muzaffargarh. Around 198511 flood affectees had so far been evacuated out of which 118, 375 people were rescued in DG Khan, and 56,876 in Rajanpur.
While giving the briefing about the rescue operations of last month, he said that out of 138,127 emergencies, Rescue service responded to 27,994 road traffic accidents, 87612 medical emergencies, 1065 fire incidents, 3424 crime incidents, 1004 animal rescue, 169 drowning incidents, 120 structural collapses, and 16739 miscellaneous operations.
It was observed with great concern that 286 people died in 27,994 road traffic crashes and 6,651 got seriously injured shifted to hospitals. Out of these traffic crashes, the majority of crashes ,7545 ,occurred in Lahore in which 35 people died.
DG Rescue Punjab Dr. Rizwan Naseer expressed satisfaction over flood rescue operations and appreciated the rescue staff who actively participated in flood rescue operations in Punjab.
He especially lauded the efforts and work of those rescuers whose own homes were destroyed in floods. The DG said that their greatest motto was to serve humanity without any discrimination in case of any emergency or adverse situation.