Heavy rains, flash floods wreak havoc in KP: 43 dead, 14 injured

PESHAWAR: Torrential rains, cloudbursts, flash floods, and roof collapses have killed at least 43 people and injured 14 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), according to official figures.

Among the dead are eight children and two women.

District administration and Rescue 1122 officials said most casualties were reported from Bajaur, Battagram, Lower Dir, and Mansehra.

Emergency teams are carrying out rescue operations in the affected areas.

In Bajaur’s Salarzai tehsil, a cloudburst triggered flash floods late last night, sweeping away 26 people. Rescue teams have so far recovered 18 bodies, including five children, while seven people remain missing. Search operations are under way.

In Battagram, heavy rains caused flash floods that swept away 28 people. Authorities confirmed 10 deaths, while police, Rescue 1122 teams, and local volunteers are searching for the remaining 18.

In Lower Dir’s Maidan area, the roof of a house collapsed during heavy rain, trapping nine people under the debris. Rescue officials said five bodies and four injured persons have been recovered.

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Rescue 1122 said continuous rains and floods have blocked mountain routes, delaying the arrival of emergency teams in some areas.

In Mansehra, a vehicle carrying six people was swept away by floodwaters. Two people died, one was injured, and three others were rescued.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) reported that 30 houses have been damaged so far, 25 partially and five completely destroyed.

The provincial government has put district administrations, including Bajaur, Lower Dir, Battagram, and Mansehra, on high alert.

Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has dispatched a provincial government helicopter to assist rescue efforts in Bajaur’s Salarzai area.