HYDERABAD, July 31: Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali on Thursday visited the rain-affected districts of Thatta, Badin and Hyderabad on the second leg of his tour of the interior of Sindh.

The prime minister arrived in Hyderabad after visiting Thatta and Badin, badly hit by the rains.

He announced a grant of Rs20 million for the relief and rehabilitation work.

He attended a briefing given by civil administration officials at Hyderabad airport regarding losses due to the torrential rains.

He expressed his resolve that his government was committed to come to the rescue of the people in emergencies.

The prime minister assured the rain-affected people of Sindh of being provided maximum relief.

Referring to reopening of the Hyderabad airport, the prime minister said the PIA had suspended service because of the runway not being in good shape and poor turnout of passengers.

During his visit to Badin, the Prime Minister sympathized with the people of the coastal belt.

He said that the government was concentrating on providing succour to the flood-affected people, whereas the Sindh government had been directed to complete a survey of losses of the recent rains on an urgent basis.

DEATH TOLL: In Karachi, an official spokesman said on Thursday that death toll in Sindh has risen to 133 as the on-going rains and flood took 35 more lives in different districts of the province.

The spokesman said late Thursday evening that rains and floods have made life of people miserable and affected over 831,157 people in Karachi, Hyderabad, Dadu, Nawabshah, Tharparkar, Badin, Thatta, Larkana and Shikarpur districts.

As many as 134,087 houses have been damaged due to rains in 10 districts.

Giving district-wise break-up of the casualties, the spokesman said, 17 persons were killed in rain-related incidents in Karachi, seven in Hyderabad, 17 in Dadu, 36 in Badin, nine in Thatta, six in Tharparkar, 27 in Larkana, five in Nawabshah, three in Shikarpur, two in Khairpur

and four in Naushero Feroze while 235 persons injured included nine in Karachi, 16

in Hyderabad, 17 in Dadu, 185 in Larkana, seven in Thatta and one in Nawabshah.

Area under crop in Badin, Hyderabad, Shikarpur, Khairpur, Ghotki, Tharparkar and Larkana has been extensively damaged while 9,250 cattle heads perished in Dadu, Thatta, Nawabshah, Tharparkar, Naushero feroze and Larkana districts.