23 buried in Kohistan landslide pronounced dead

PESHAWAR: Authorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Friday pronounced 23 people buried by a landslides in Kohistan District dead, bringing the rescue operation that began on April 3 to an end.

The decision to declare the victims dead was made by elders, clerics and officials of the local administration after hectic efforts by civil and military officials failed to retrieve the bodies.

A large number of people offered funeral prayers of the deceased. Identities of the dead are yet to be known.  Dozens of people lost their lives as heavy rains and snowfall hit large parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and northern Pakistan.

According to the National Disaster Management Authority more than 1,200 houses have been damaged since April 2, with roads across the mountainous north blocked.