Death toll rises to 36 as rains continue in KP

PESHAWAR: The death toll increased to 36 people with 46 others injured in the rain, flashfloods related incidents across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as heavy rain continued since Thursday night in most of the province for which a high alert has been issued to all district administration, a report of the Provincial Disasters Management Authority (PDMA) said here Friday. The rains caused landslides in the hilly areas, leading to suspension of some roads in Swat, Landikotal and Chitral districts.

The PMDA report said that as a result of accidents due to heavy rains and floods in various KP districts 20 children, eight men and eight women are among the dead while nine women, 33 men, and 11 children are among the injured.

A total of 2,391 houses were damaged due to the collapse of walls and roofs in different districts, of which 388 houses were completely damaged and 2,003 were partially damaged.

Due to heavy rains, life and financial losses occurred in districts of Khyber, Upper and Lower Dir, Chitral, Swat, Bajaur, Shangla, Mansehra, Mohmand, Malakand, Karak, Tank, Mardan, Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera, Buner, Hangu, Battaghram, and Bannu, North and South Waziristan, Kohat, Dera Ismail Khan and Orakzai, the PDMA report revealed.

On the special instructions of the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur, the PDMA has released Rs110 million to the administration of the districts affected .The PDMA has provided relief materials to the affected districts of Swat, Chitral Lower, Bajaur, Kohistan Lower, Peshawar, Nowshera, Mohmand, Dir Upper, Tank and Dera Ismail Khan.

The relief supplies include tents, mats, kitchen sets, blankets, beds, tarpaulins, solar lamps, and other daily life items, the PDMA report said.

The report said that relief organisations are carrying out relief activities in the rain-affected districts across KP.

The rains are likely to continue intermittently till April 21 and the PDMA has already issued a letter to all district administrations to be alert and take precautionary measures.

A child was killed and her mother sustained injuries in a roof collapse incident in Bara tehsil in Khyber tribal district

The provincial metropolis received heavy rain on Friday that inundated several low-lying areas.

In Bara, a minor girl was killed and her mother injured when the roof of a house collapsed. The family members were asleep at night when the incident happened.

The child was taken to a hospital where she succumbed to her injuries.

The rain and landslides in hilly areas of Swat district caused problems for the locals and tourists as well.

The road between Bahrain and scenic Kalam valley remained blocked for five hours. However, the administration managed to clear it in the evening.

In a statement, the local administration said the Pakistan Army continued relief operations in Swat, Chitral and Khyber districts after landsliding at different various places due to heavy rains.

The stranded tourists were rescued while several roads blocked due to landslides were reopened to traffic.

The Army also organised a medical camp where free medicines were also provided to the patients.

The local administration also issued an advisory for the local people and tourists to avoid unnecessary travel during the rains.

In Landikotal, land-sliding occurred in Shen Pokh border village in Loey Shalman and the administration moved heavy machinery but could not start work on at some places due to the rains.

An official said the number of damaged homes and other compounds had risen to over 50 in Landikotal. Several cattle heads were also reported dead while standing crops were destroyed in the past two days of heavy downpour.

He said the main Pak-Afghan Highway from Jamrud to Torkham remained closed for hours over the past two days due to heavy downpour and flash floods.

Residents said links roads in various villages in Landikotal remained cut off with the rest of Landikotal as these were washed away by flash floods. However, no casualty was reported.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday expressed deep grief and sorrow over loss of precious lives and property due to heavy rains in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces.