24 killed in rain-related incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

PESHAWAR: Twenty-four people were killed and 17 injured as monsoon rains lashed various parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from July 29 through Thursday, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said.

A report from the KP Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) released today said that excessive rainfall led to saturated flood basins, overflowing rivers, and overwhelmed the natural drainage systems, directly causing widespread flooding.

As a result, 24 people lost their lives across the province during the past three days due to roof collapses and other rain-related incidents. The most casualties were reported in Kohat, where 10 people were killed, six of whom were children.

“The district administration along with Rescue 1122 and local volunteers recovered the dead bodies,” the report said, adding that non-food items (NFIs) were distributed to the affected families, including tents, mattresses, blankets, kitchen sets, and hygiene kits.

On the other hand, the most damage to infrastructure was observed in Upper Chitral, where 107 houses were either fully or partially destroyed by flash floods caused by heavy rain.

A total of 150 houses were damaged during the three days in KP, while 77 houses were partially damaged and 73 houses were destroyed, the report added.

Flash floods and house collapses were also reported in Hangu, Haripur, Mansehra, Lower Dir, Charsadda, Mohmand, Bajaur, and Abbottabad. The report added that landslides were also reported in Abbottabad.

According to a PDMA weather warning, a new series of monsoon showers is due to start in the province and continue intermittently until August 6.

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It said that “scattered heavy with isolated very heavy falls are expected in Dir (Upper & Lower), Bajaur, Chitral (Upper & Lower), Swat, Buner, Malakand, Shangla, Kohistan (lower & upper), Torghar, Battagram, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, Swabi, Mardan, Charsadda, Nowshera, Mohmand, Peshawar, Khyber, Kohat Hangu, Kurram, Orakzai, Karak, Lakki Marwat, South & North Waziristan, Bannu, Tank, and Dera Ismail Khan districts”, with “occasional gaps” in between.

The alert also warned that the torrential rain may cause “urban flooding in the low-lying areas of the province” and flash flooding in local streams in Galliyat, Mansehra, Kohistan, Chitral, Malakand, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Buner, Bannu, Kurram, North and South Waziristan, Orakzai, Khyber, Mohmand, Nowshera, Swabi and DI Khan.

Due to the rain, landslides have also been predicted in the upper districts of the province.

The PDMA, district administration, and relief teams are currently engaged in relief activities, while tourists have been advised against travelling to the area.