PESHAWAR: Mobile phone companies, in partnership with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), have announced free calls for people living in flood-hit areas to help them stay connected during the ongoing crisis.

According to a statement issued on Sunday, mobile operators are offering free on-net calls (within the same network) to subscribers in affected regions. Even customers with zero balance can make these calls, so they can reach out to their families and emergency services in this difficult time.

The PTA said that over 72% of the damaged telecom sites have already been restored, and work is in progress to repair the rest as soon as possible. The authority praised mobile companies for their quick response and promised to keep monitoring the situation to ensure smooth communication in the flood-hit regions.

Meanwhile, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) shared the latest update on losses caused by heavy rains and flash floods across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

According to the report, 313 people have lost their lives and 156 have been injured. Among the dead are 263 men, 29 women, and 21 children. The injured include 123 men, 23 women, and 10 children.

The PDMA also confirmed that 159 houses were damaged, with 97 partially and 62 destroyed.

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