Flash floods play havoc at Upper Chitral villages

CHITRAL: The flash floods on Friday washed away seven houses in far-off Meragram no 2 village in Upper Chitral, locals and police officials said.

“The early morning flood annihilated five houses and submerged two others. No casualty occurred as the people had shifted to safe places before the glacial lake outburst floods hit the village,” said a police official.

The floods washed away the houses of Siddiqul Azam, Umar Mian, Hayatul Amin, Zafar Jan and Ameen, he said, adding, the houses of Maqbool and Irfan were partially damaged. “We have lost all our belongings and we need immediate help from the government,” said Zafar. The floods in Chuing village also submerged several houses and blocked the Yarkhun Road.

Meanwhile, the water from the Yarkhun River washed away the road connecting Khuzh and Deewangul villages. The people of Khuzh and Deewangul have demanded the government to send heavy machinery to the area to divert the water and restore the traffic.