India’s Modi extends condolences to families of Pakistan's flood victims

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday offered heartfelt condolences to the families suffering due to the devastation caused by floods in Pakistan.

In a Twitter post, Modi said that he was hoping for an early restoration of normalcy in the neighbouring country.

"Saddened to see the devastation caused by the floods in Pakistan. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, the injured, and all those affected by this natural calamity and hope for an early restoration of normalcy," PM Modi said.

A huge relief operation was underway on Monday and international aid began trickling in as Pakistan struggled to deal with the situation that has affected more than 33 million people in the country.

Officials said 1,136 people have died since June when the seasonal rains began, but the final toll could be higher as hundreds of villages in the mountainous north have been cut off by flood-swollen rivers washing away roads and bridges.

According to a situation report of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), 1,634 individuals were injured in various rain and flood-related incidents, and over 735,375 livestock animals were lost. Additionally, over 3,451 kilometres of roads, 149 bridges, 170 shops, and 949,858 houses were damaged across the country.

Millions of acres of rich farmland have been flooded by weeks of non-stop rain, but now the Indus is threatening to burst its banks as a result of torrents of water coursing downstream from tributaries in the north.

The government has declared an emergency and appealed for international help

On Sunday, the first aid flights began arriving -- from Turkey and the UAE.

The flooding could not have come at a worse time for Pakistan, where the economy is in free fall.