Page 10 - HOH

A7
WORLD NEWS Tuesday 30 augusT 2022
Pakistan flooding deaths pass 1,000 in 'climate catastrophe'

By ZARAR KHAN we are alive and I will re-
Associated Press start life with my sons."
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Deaths The unprecedented mon-
from widespread flooding soon season has affected
in Pakistan topped 1,000 all four of the country's
since mid-June, officials provinces. Nearly 300,000
said Sunday, as the coun- homes have been de-
try's climate minister called stroyed, numerous roads
the deadly monsoon sea- rendered impassable and
son "a serious climate ca- electricity outages have
tastrophe." been widespread, affect-
Flash flooding from the ing millions of people.
heavy rains has washed Pope Francis on Sunday
away villages and crops as said he wanted to assure
soldiers and rescue workers his "closeness to the popu-
evacuated stranded resi- lations of Pakistan struck by
dents to the safety of relief flooding of disastrous pro-
camps and provided food portions.'' Speaking during
to thousands of displaced a pilgrimage to the Italian
Pakistanis. town of L'Aquila, which was
Pakistan's National Disas- hit by a deadly earthquake
ter Management Author- Displaced people float belongings salvaged from flood-hit homes through a flooded area, on the in 2009, Francis said he was
ity reported the death toll outskirts of Peshawar, Pakistan, Sunday, Aug. 28, 2022. praying "for the many vic-
since the monsoon season Associated Press tims, for the injured and the
began earlier than normal evacuated, and so that in-
this year — in mid- June events, in an unrelenting wa province, where tens of district villages. ternational solidarity will be
— reached 1,061 people cascade of heatwaves, thousands of people — es- Khaista Rehman, 55, no re- prompt and generous."
after new fatalities were forest fires, flash floods, mul- pecially in the Charsadda lation to the climate min- Rehman told Turkish news
reported across different tiple glacial lake outbursts, and Nowshehra districts ister, took shelter with his outlet TRT World that by the
provinces. flood events and now the — have been evacuated wife and three children on time the rains recede, "we
Sherry Rehman, a Pakistani monster monsoon of the from their homes to relief the side of the Islamabad- could well have one fourth
senator and the country's decade is wreaking non- camps set up in govern- Peshawar highway after his or one third of Pakistan un-
top climate official, said in stop havoc throughout ment buildings. Many have home in Charsadda was der water."
a video posted on Twitter the country," she said. The also taken shelter on road- submerged overnight. "This is something that is a
that Pakistan is experienc- on-camera statement was sides, said Kamran Ban- "Thank God we are safe global crisis and of course
ing a "serious climate ca- retweeted by the country's gash, a spokesperson for now on this road quite high we will need better plan-
tastrophe, one of the hard- ambassador to the Europe- the provincial government. from the flooded area," he ning and sustainable de-
est in the decade." an Union. Bangash said some 180,000 said. velopment on the ground.
"We are at the moment at Flooding from the Swat Riv- people have been evacu- "Our crops are gone and ... We'll need to have cli-
the ground zero of the front er overnight affected north- ated from Charsadda and our home is destroyed but mate resilient crops as well
line of extreme weather western Khyber Pakhtunkh- 150,000 from Nowshehra I am grateful to Allah that as structures," she said.q

2 high-rise towers in India demolished for violating laws

By ASHOK SHARMA government administra- barricades and special
NEW DELHI (AP) — Two tor, after the demolition. "It covers to block dust from
high-rise apartment tow- happened as expected." the approximately 88,000
ers in India were leveled to The demolition was com- tons of debris that would
the ground in a controlled pleted within seconds but be generated, officials
demolition on Sunday af- followed a 12-year court said. Disposing all of the de-
ter the country's top court battle between residents in bris will take three months.
declared them illegal for the area and the builder, Residents are expected to
violating building norms, of- Supertech Limited. return to the area Sunday
ficials said. They became The razing of the towers oc- evening after experts ex-
India's tallest structures to curred after the Supreme amine the impact of the
be razed to the ground. Court found that the build- demolition. Some apart-
More than 1,500 families er, in collusion with govern- ments are located just nine
vacated their apartments ment officials, violated laws meters (29.5 feet) away
in the area more than sev- prohibiting construction from the blast site, and the Cloud of dust rises as twin high-rise apartment towers are razed
en hours before the nearly within a certain distance required safe distance is 20 to ground in Noida, outskirts of New Delhi, India, Sunday, Aug.
100-meter- (328 feet) tall from nearby buildings. meters (65.6 feet). 28, 2022.
towers crumbled inward by The Supreme Court said "It would come in the top Associated Press
the impact of the implosion. the construction of the two five demolitions in the
The 32-story and 29-story towers also was illegal be- world in terms of height, rica at a cost of 180 million of demolition in which one
towers, which were being cause the builder did not volume, steel and tightness rupees ($2.25 million). story collapses on the next.
constructed by a private receive mandatory con- of the structure," said Ut- Mehta said 3,500 kilograms Joe Brikmann, director of
builder in Noida city on the sent from other apartment karsh Mehta, a partner with (7,716 pounds) of explosives Jet Demolition, said earlier
outskirts of New Delhi, were owners in the area. Edifice Engineering, which were drilled into thousands he was confident no harm
yet to be occupied. Ahead of the demolition, brought down the building of holes in the columns and would come to the build-
"Largely, everything is OK," the towers were surround- in collaboration with Jet shears of the towers. Experts ings adjacent to the de-
said Ritu Maheshwari, a ed by scaffolding, fences, Demolition from South Af- used the waterfall method molished towers.q