PDMA puts death toll at 13 as rain continues to batter KP

PESHAWAR/ GILGIT/LAHORE: As the rain continued to batter Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said on Wednesday that 13 people, including nine children, were killed and three others injured in recent rain-related incidents in the province.

The PDMA in its initial damage assessment report said the relentless rainfall and flash floods across multiple districts of KP also caused huge property losses.

According to the PDMA, a total of 19 homes, 17 partially and two completely, were destroyed across various regions over the last three days.

The affected districts include Swat, Buner, Bajaur, Torghar, Upper Kohistan, Mardan, Kurram, Haripur, Mansehra, Upper Chitral, Malakand and Shangla.

The PDMA warned that the current spell of heavy rain is expected to continue intermittently until July 25. In anticipation of the adverse weather, the PDMA had already issued early warnings to all district administrations. It said that relief operations have since been accelerated in the affected areas.

Authorities have been instructed to deploy all available resources to restore access to blocked roads and communication routes, especially in tourist regions. The PDMA advised tourists to stay updated on the weather conditions and follow safety precautions, adding that the authority in coordination with rescue teams, local administrations and Rescue 1122, continues to monitor the situation closely.

Meanwhile, heavy rain continued to batter the upper parts of Hazara and strong windstorms uprooted trees and disrupted traffic. The Karakoram Highway (KKH) was blocked after the Indus River overflowed and inundated a section of the road, suspending travel between KP and Gilgit-Baltistan in Upper Kohistan.

The ongoing second spell of monsoon rains, which began three days ago, lashed Mansehra, Torghar, Upper Kohistan, Kolai-Palas and Lower Kohistan.

Traffic on the KKH remained suspended for several hours at Uchar Camp in Upper Kohistan due to flooding. Upper Kohistan Deputy Commissioner Tariq Ali Khan ordered for deployment of police and district administration officials, led by the Additional Assistant Commissioner, to manage the situation and restrict traffic from entering the affected area. In separate incidents, strong winds uprooted trees in several areas of the division. One such tree fell on a mini-truck along the KKH in the Baffa Doraha area, briefly blocking traffic.

Also, a four-year-old boy lost his life after falling into an overflowing drain in Charsadda district, as continuous rainfall caused widespread damage in the area. The grieving family placed the child’s body at Farooq-e-Azam Chowk in protest against the district administration’s negligence. The protest was called off after successful negotiations between the administration and the bereaved family. According to local sources, the incident occurred in the Majoki area, where heavy rainfall had filled open drains with water. The child slipped and drowned in one of them. The tragic incident sparked anger in the community, prompting the demonstration.

In a separate incident, the boundary wall of a government girls’ primary school also collapsed due to water damage. Local residents said that several houses were damaged in different parts of Charsadda and power disruptions were reported after several 11,000-volt electric lines fell during the storm.

Also, several areas of Nowshera were flooded as heavy monsoon rains lashed the region, causing seasonal streams to overflow and submerging roads and low-lying neighbourhoods.

Standing crops suffered partial damage, while residents expressed concern over poor drainage and sanitation systems.

According to reports, the affected areas include Nowshera Kalan, Nowshera Cantt, Pabbi, Taru Jabba, Risalpur, and Akora Khattak, where rainwater flooded streets and drains, turning roads into pools of water and disrupting daily life. Residents in multiple neighbourhoods said they were frightened by the rising water levels and blamed the local administration for failing to clean drains and streets ahead of the monsoon season.

Separately, the National Highway Authority (NHA) teams carried out relief and restoration work during the past two days in areas of Gilgit-Baltistan, affected by recent heavy rains and landslides. According to a statement, the NHA personnel successfully cleared more than 30 locations on the Karakoram Highway, N-15, and the Jaglot-Skardu Road, restoring traffic flow. On Tuesday, the NHA teams reopened several sections of the Karakoram Highway, including areas near Chilas Bazaar and Chilas Zero Point. The highway at Passu was opened to one-way traffic, along with sections near Tatta Pani and Jalkhad. The stretch from Jalipur to Gundalo on the Karakoram Highway was also cleared and reopened to two-way traffic. All affected points between Thalichi and Chilas were successfully cleared, with one-way traffic restored. Near Besal, N-15 was cleared of debris, while the Jaglot-Skardu Road was reopened to two-way traffic. On Wednesday, another landslide temporarily blocked the highway at Tatta Pani, but NHA teams swiftly cleared the debris. The road from Lushe Bridge to Naran has also been cleared and reopened. Chilas Main Bazaar is now accessible to the public. The road between Lothiyan and Lushe Bridge is fully open, and the NHA has begun work at Lushe Bridge to ensure continuous traffic flow. Materials for temporary access have started arriving, and traffic restoration at the bridge is expected shortly.

Also, the PDMA Punjab issued a medium flood alert for Chashma and Kalabagh in the Indus River, warning of a possible rise in water levels and potential flooding. Currently, water discharge at Chashma stands at 378,000 cusecs, while Kalabagh records 413,000 cusecs.

PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia instructed the commissioners and deputy commissioners of the districts concerned to remain vigilant. Alerts have been specifically issued to the commissioners of Sargodha and Dera Ghazi Khan divisions, as well as to the deputy commissioners of Mianwali, Bhakkar, Layyah, Kot Addu, Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh and Rajanpur.

The PDMA directed the Civil Defence, Rescue 1122 and other relevant departments to complete all preparations. Alerts have also been issued to the local government, agriculture, irrigation, health, forest, livestock and transport departments.

Heavy rainfall was recorded across multiple districts in the past 24 hours: Attock received 125mm, Jhelum 120mm, Rawalpindi 88mm, Mangla 72mm, Sheikhupura 70mm, Narowal 64mm, Lahore around 100mm, Gujranwala 40mm, Faisalabad 43mm, and Mianwali up to 42mm. Rainfall was also recorded in Hafizabad, Layyah, Bhakkar, Sialkot, Toba Tek Singh, Mandi Bahauddin, Sargodha, Okara, Kasur and Kamalia. The fourth monsoon spell is expected to continue until July 25, with rainfall predicted in Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Faisalabad, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Lahore, Multan, Rawalpindi, Sahiwal and Sargodha divisions. The risk of flooding in rivers and streams remains high until July 24. DG Irfan Ali Kathia confirmed that alerts have been issued across the province in compliance with the chief minister’s directives. No loss of life was reported in the last 24 hours. However, since the beginning of the monsoon season, 135 deaths and 485 injuries have been reported, along with damage to 158 houses. Most fatalities were due to the collapse of mud houses, dilapidated structures, lightning strikes, electrocution and drowning.

Current water flow in most rivers and barrages is at normal levels. Mangla Dam is at 51pc capacity, Tarbela at 79pc, and Indian dams at about 36pc. A low-level flood persists in the Indus River at Tarbela, Kalabagh, Chashma and Taunsa and in the Chenab River at Khanki.

Urban flooding is also anticipated in major cities such as Lahore, Sialkot, Faisalabad, and Gujranwala due to ongoing monsoon rains. City administrations are on alert, and PDMA control rooms and district emergency operation centres are monitoring the situation 24/7.