Rainstorm hits parts of KP, Fata

PESHAWAR: Eight people were killed as rainstorm hit the provincial capital and others parts of the province and Fata overnight, inundating a number of areas in Peshawar and causing power breakdowns.
Five persons, including a woman, were killed and three others sustained injuries in rain-related incidents in Shabqadar tehsil of Chrasadda district, locals said.
They said that a number of houses suffered damage due to torrential rains and windstorm in Tilla Koroona, Sehra Koroona, Batgram and Kangra at night.
Five persons including a couple were killed and three others sustained injuries.
Three sisters were killed and four others sustained injuries when roof a house collapsed at Ghundi village in Jamrud tehsil of Khyber Agency early Friday, locals said.
They said due to torrential rain, the roof of a room at the house of one Gul Rahim collapsed in Ghundi. Three daughters of the tribesman were killed on the spot while four others including he himself, his wife and two other daughters, sustained injuries.
Following the incident, the locals reached the spot and shifted the dead and injured to the Agency Tehsil Headquarters Hospital in Jamrud.
Several trees were uprooted and power poles damaged that led to power breakdowns in most parts of Peshawar city and suburbs during rainstorms on Thursday night.
Motorists faced severe hardships as roads at several points wore the look of pools of water. The Saddar Road right from Mian Muhammad Iqbal Chowk to General Post Office went underwater, making it impassable.
Several vehicles conked out in the middle of the inundated road. The motorists and motorcyclists were seen pushing their broken automobiles through the rainwater accumulated on the road.
Another troubling point was crossings at the defunct railway track at Gulberg and Nauthia localities. Water had also accumulated on the Sher Shah Suri Road near the Cantt Railway Station and the Peshawar Press Club.
The situation was not better in interior parts of the old city, especially Hashtnagri, Ghanta Ghar, Reti Bazaar, Lahori Gate and Ganj Gate.
The rainwater entered houses in a number of localities both in urban and rural areas of Peshawar district.
A spokesman for the emergency service, Rescue 1122, Bilal Ahmad Faizi, said that the rainwater was drained with the help of vehicles that were put to use.
He said the Wahid Garhi, Charsadda Road, Aabshar Colony on the Warsak Road, Askari V, Gulbahar, Maskeenabad in Nauthia, Palosai village were among the affected areas.
Bilal Ahmad Faizi said that the Rescue 1122 staff provided instant help after receiving the calls.
He said that a bus fell into a ditch on Friday morning at Sarband on the Bara Road due to reckless driving. The Rescue 1122 staff rushed to the spot. Eight passengers were injured in the incident. They were rescued and taken to safer locations.
The injured were identified as Azam, Mujeeb, Imtiaz, Haq Nawaz, mother of Zakir, Asif, Khalid and Ahsan.
The power breakdowns made the people suffer. In several localities the electricity supply remained cut off for almost 10 hours.
The Peshawar Electric Supply Company staff started restoring the power supply in some areas in the morning while the facility was restored on the Dilazak Road by 11 am.
Sabz Ali Tareen adds from Charsadda: Five persons, including a woman, were killed and three others sustained injuries in rain-related incidents in Shabqadar tehsil early Friday, locals said.
Eye-witnesses said that a number of houses suffered damages due to torrential rains and windstorm in Tilla Koroona, Sehra Koroona, Batgram and Kangra at night.
Five persons including a couple were killed and three others sustained injuries. The identity of the dead and injured could not be ascertained due to disrupted communication system.