UN chief visits last surviving remnants of 5,000-year-old Indus Valley Civilization in Pakistan

KARACHI, Pakistan

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday visited Mohinjo Daro, the last surviving remnants of the 5,000-year-old Indus Valley Civilization, which has been affected by the recent rains and flooding.

With Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Guterres arrived in Larkana, the hometown of Bilawal's mother and two-time late Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, to inspect the scale of damage caused by the devastating floods to the iconic site, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

Bilawal briefed Guterres on the damages conceded by the prehistoric site due to historic rains and floods, the statement added.

Apart from massive human and infrastructure losses caused by monsoon rains 10 times heavier than normal and massive floods, the South Asian nuclear nation risks losing its archaeological treasure, including remnants of the Mohinjo Daro and Mahargarh civilizations.

Mohinjo Daro, also known as the "Mound of the Dead," is located 27 kilometers (about 17 miles) from Larkana district in the southern Sindh province and has been particularly hard hit by the country's most destructive monsoon spells and floods in recent history, causing concern among local and foreign archaeologists.

The floodwaters surrounding the quintessential site have damaged several excavated portions, causing water to seep through and create furrows.

Rain and flood waters seeping into the ground are tilting the walls of the heritage site's prehistoric houses, which date back to 2,500 B.C. and are the last surviving remnants of the Indus Valley Civilization.

This alarming development, according to archaeologists, could potentially lead to the walls completely crumbling and collapsing.