18 killed as rains lash parts of country

PESHAWAR/ LAHORE/CHITRAL/MANSEHRA: At least 18 people were killed, scores were injured and many displaced from their homes as heavy rains lashed parts of the country.

The heavy rains lashed different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkwa, Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan, and damaged houses, washed away roads, uprooted trees, submerged streets, roads, destroyed standing crops and drainage system and suspended the power supply.

The latest report issued by KP’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said nine people had died over the last 24 hours, including two in Swat, two in Battagram, four in Mansehra and one in Buner. The report further said that seven people had been injured, including three in Swat, three in Battagram and one in Mansehra. KP Caretaker Chief Minister Mohammad Azam Khan directed the relief department and district administration to remain on high alert.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to reports, 67 houses were partially damaged and seven houses were completely damaged due to floods and rains across the province. Some 39 houses in Lower Chitral and 19 in Upper Chitral were partially damaged. District administration, PDMA, Rescue 1122, Civil Defence and related institutions are on alert, a spokesman of the relief department said. He added that relief materials were provided to the affected families of Upper Chitral and a detailed assessment of the damage will be started as soon as the flood waters recede in Lower Chitral. Sensitive communities in Lower Chitral had already been shifted to safer places. The district administration mobilised heavy machinery for speedy restoration of roads and the road at Koghuzi has been cleared for traffic, the spokesman added.

Meanwhile, the district administrations of Lower Chitral and Upper Chitral have declared emergency in both districts till August 15.

In Swat, a woman and her minor daughter died and three other members of a family sustained injuries in a roof collapse incident caused by a landslide.

Meanwhile, the water level in Swat River continued to rise due to continuous rainfall for the last two days. The flooding also uprooted electricity poles near the Ayub Bridge and washed away a portion of road in Chamtalai area in Khwazakhela tehsil. The electricity supply to Kabal remained suspended after the power pylons fell down.

The traffic flow between Swat and Shangla district was suspended after the road was washed away in flooding in Swat River. Also, floods continued to devastate various parts of Upper Chitral district.

In Shangla, the flashfloods caused by the third spell of monsoon heavy rains washed away the Alpuri-Bisham road at two points besides other link roads and destroyed standing crops, vegetables and fruit orchards in various parts of the districts. The police control room established to monitor flooding emergency said that no casualty had been reported from any part of the district so far. Many towns and villages remained disconnected due to landsliding in upper parts of the district. Also, landsliding at Shang on the Karakoram Highway and other points on various link roads caused gridlocks.

Meanwhile, the provincial government has released a Rs10 million package for the flood relief activities in the district.

Meanwhile, Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi presided over an emergency meeting of the cabinet over the flood situation here on Sunday. Secretary irrigation said during the briefing that water level is increasing in the dams being built by India at River Ravi and Sutlej. There was a likelihood of more rains in the catchment areas of Ravi and Sutlej and there was a danger of flooding in both the rivers. Naqvi, while ordering all commissioners to take precautionary measures on an emergency basis, stated that all preemptive measures should be given a final shape for the safety of village people present inside the bed of both rivers.

Minister Amir Mir emphasized that the risk of flooding has significantly increased, particularly with the water released by India, which has caused the rivers’ water levels to rise. Presently, a substantial volume of approximately 22,000 cusecs is flowing through Shahdara. There are concerns that continuous rainfall in India may prompt her to release even more water into the Ravi and Sutlej rivers, potentially leading to the submergence of Shahdara.

Meanwhile, following rainfall in several areas of Balochistan, the PDMA provided relief items to the people in Basima and Patak areas of Washuk district. The relief items contained food, tents, blankets, utensils and other items of need.