A little boy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has reportedly been recovered alive after the fruit van he was in was swept away by the flood.
The boy miraculously survived the ordeal and was found four days later, hanging onto a tree.
The child reportedly worked in a truck mechanic’s shop in the Daraban Kalan area of Dera Ismail (DI) Khan, according to the locals. He had been traveling in a fruit truck when it fell into the flood waters near Sagoo bridge in DI Khan.
He had managed to latch himself onto a tree trunk while drifting in floodwaters. After braving four days of hunger, thirst, and sleep deprivation, his calls for help were heeded by some locals who rescued him and took him to safety.
The mechanic’s body was also found but the truck driver is still missing. Meanwhile, the child is safe and healthy, according to locals.
In related news, Pakistan Army Aviation pilots rescued a man trapped in the flood in Kohistan on Sunday. The General Officer Commanding (GOC) Mangla and Commander Mangla Brigade had reportedly responded to a distress call and diverted a flood assessment flight to rescue him.
Over the last two weeks, over 30 million people have been affected by Pakistan’s record monsoon rainfall and flooding across the country. The loss of infrastructure and the collapse of communication networks has magnified the problems encountered by authorities in the region’s rescue and relief operations.
The situation has prompted the government to call on the international community for aid and assistance as it struggles to cope with the aftermath of the teeming rains and resultant devastating floods that have taken the lives of nearly 1,000 people.