65 killed as rains, floods wreak havoc in KP, Fata, GB

PESHAWAR: At least 65  people were killed and several others injured as fresh rain and floods wreaked havoc in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Fata, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan, officials said on Monday.

Forty-six people were killed and 34 others injured in rain-related incidents in KP and the tribal areas. The floodwaters also washed away a bridge and over 70 cabins in the Batathal area on the outskirts of the provincial capital. 

Mountainous Kohistan and Shangla were the most affected districts where several people were killed and houses and roads washed away. At least 16 people, including women and children, were killed and several others sustained injuries in landslides and lightning incidents in various parts of the Shangla district, locals and eyewitnesses said. 

They said that two women and a child were killed and six others injured when a landslide hit two houses in Lewanay village in Shangla. Reports suggested that the landslides were triggered by heavy rains that lashed parts of Shangla overnight. 

It was learnt that a man, his son and daughter were killed when a landslide struck their house in Karora. In Shahpur village, a man was killed and several others sustained injuries after being struck by lightning.

Another man was killed and eight people suffered wounds when a house was hit by lightning in Chakesar village.  Similarly, three family members were killed when a landside hit their house in Ranyal Union Council, where another landside struck the house of a councillor, killing five people, including two women and three children. 

The heavy rains caused by cloud outburst triggered flash floods in the river Khan Khwar, overflowing watercourses. The gushing water also washed away the portion of Bisham-Swat road at Ranyal. Twelve persons were killed in various incidents in Kohistan district.

“Twelve people are killed in rain-related incidents and we are struggling to reopen the Karakoram Highway owing to continues rains. The continuous rain and landslides are also affecting the relief and rescue activities in the district,” Fazle Khaliq, the deputy commissioner of Kohistan, told The News.

Suna Gul, his wife, a daughter and two sons were killed when lightning struck their house in a village in Palas tehsil. 

Two other people including Mohammad Assad and his wife were killed when houses collapsed in Jalkot area. A man was also killed after a landslide hit him in Pattan area of Kohistan.

Meanwhile, Noor Hussain and his wife were killed and their three sons were injured when their house collapsed in Paghal area of Kaghan valley in Mansehra district.

The Karakoram Highway and Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad road and link roads in Siran, Konsh and Kaghan valleys were blocked because of the land sliding.

Four persons, including a woman and a minor girl, were killed and 12 others sustained injuries in rain-related incidents in Swat, where the district administration announced a state of emergency following the colossal damage caused to the infrastructure by heavy rains.

Reports suggested that seven bridges and 35 houses collapsed due to heavy rains in various areas in Matta, Bahrain, Kabal, Babuzai, Khwazakhela, Charbagh and Barikot tehsils in Swati district. The havoc wrought by the rains prompted the district administration to announce emergency to provide relief to the affected population.

The local people said that a 10-year-old girl Afsana Bibi and a woman Sultana Bibi were swept away by fast-moving water as they were crossing a water channel near Mingora.

A man identified as Alifzada was killed when his house was hit by a landslide in Jambel area in Mingora.  One Sultan drowned in the river Swat and his body couldn't be found.  Several people were injured in roof and wall collapse incidents. 

The rainwater also inundated thousands of acres of land and damaged standing crops. The rainwater flooded houses and hotels along the Mingora bypass road on the bank of the river Swat. The rainfall damaged plum and apricot orchids.

Meanwhile, the Kalam and Malam Jabba roads were blocked for traffic, which caused inconvenience to the local people.  Gushing water of a stream washed away two women in Karo Darra in Upper Dir.

Five persons, including two women, were injured when houses collapsed in Jabar, Sadiqa Banda and Barkand areas of remote Usheri Darra. Jamila, Shan Bibi, her son, Tariq and others were among the injured. 

Big cracks reportedly developed in the mountainous area of Nishan Banda, a village that consists of about 25 to 30 houses, in Usheri Dara. Several families started migration from the village and the remaining population was facing extreme hardships.

The water level in Panjkora River was increasing gradually as the district administration imposed Section 144 stopping people from going near the brink of river and collecting wood and logs.

“The district administration imposed Section 144 for one month for the protection of the people,” said Deputy Commissioner Zakaullah Khattak.

A bridge that connected Kiloot to Sheringal was also washed away by floodwater due to which the Kiloot area was disconnected with other areas of the district.

Local people were facing difficulties because of shortage of food and other items of daily use. People of Kiloot said that the elected representatives including the MPA from the constituency had not yet visited the area. People remained stranded for hours as many link roads were closed for traffic due to landsliding in various areas of the district. 

Similarly, in Nehergah, near Lowari Top, passenger’s vehicles were stranded when the water level rose in a nullah. The passengers kept on waiting in the biting cold for hours.

A 70-year-old man was killed when a roof of a room collapsed in Bakshali village in Mardan. The sources said that an aged man identified as Wazirullah Kaka was sitting in the room of his mud- house at Bakshali village when its roof caved in. As a result he died on the spot. 

A man was killed in a roof collapse at Thana area in Malakand Agency, official sources said.  They said roof of a house of one Ikramullah caved in due to recent rain at Palai Khapa in Thana area. As a result, he got trapped under the debris. Following the incident, the locals rushed to the spot and rescued him in an injured condition. He was shifted to a hospital in Thana where the doctors pronounced him dead.

Deputy Commissioner Khaista Rehman Khan reached the site and condoled with the family members. He gave a cheque for Rs300,000, a tent and other relief items to the family members. 

Similarly, the roof of the house of Gul Khar collapsed in Palai Sher Khanai, killing two cattle. 

The rain also caused damage to houses and roads in different parts of Battagram district. One woman died in a house collapse in Shamlai union council. Rain disrupted electricity supply to almost all parts of district. Landsliding damaged main water supply line, which resulted in shortage of drinking water in various areas of Ajmera, Chapargram, Tamai and Battagram Colony.

Two mud-houses collapsed in Sheikhan and Mishti areas as heavy rains lashed parts of Orakzai Agency.  It was learnt that the house of one Fazal Rahim caved in at Sheikhan area. However, no loss of life was caused as the inmates had vacated the house due to its dilapidated condition. In a similar incident, another house collapsed due to heavy rains in Mishti area.