Rain, floods kill 106 in KP

Statesman Report

PESHAWAR: The death toll of those killed in floods and rain in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa rose to 106 in two days on Thursday.

At least 34 people were killed and 35 suffered injuries as floods triggered by torrential rain hit Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Wednesday. The deluge felled several houses and buildings and disrupted the communication system.

Regi and Taj Abad - two villages located on the outskirts of Peshawar - were the worst affected areas where floodwater inundated more than 250 houses. At least six people were killed and the military was called out to help with relief activities.

In the Badhber area, five people of the same family were killed as the roof of their house caved in following heavy rain. Traffic on the main GT Road in Badhber remained blocked for hours.

"Schools have been vacated to house the people displaced by rains. Initial survey of the damages has been sent to the chief minister," Sairaj Ahmed, the district coordination officer (DCO) of Peshawar said.

Standing crops and cattle also suffered the brunt of the torrents as people left behind their belongings to evacuate to safer zones. Charsadda Road, the main road linking Peshawar to other districts, was closed for all sorts of traffic as the water level in the Shah Alam River increased.

Senior Minister Bashir Bilour said that 106 people have died due to the floods while over 50 bridges have been swept away across the province.

"Fifteen bridges, 300 shops, more than 80 houses and a hotel were washed away in floods in Swat and Bahrain," he said.

Twenty-six people have died due to rains and floods in Shangla. Lightning struck and killed nine people in Dhairy, while eight drowned in floods in the Kohistan area.

Six people were swept away in floods in Lower Dir, while two children died in Marzoi area of Shabqadar when the roof of a house caved in.

Four children, two each in Bannu and Akora Khattak refugee camp were swept away by heavy floods.

People in the affected areas are reportedly running out of food.

The DPO office and Police Lines were also swept away in flood in Nowshera.

People who managed to get to the rooftops awaiting immediate help. It is feared that the rising water level will sweep them away.

The provincial government has appealed the federal and provincial governments to provide support for the people stranded in floods.

In Karak three people died while five others injured due to collapse of houses in different parts of the district. The heavy rain and flood in seasonal water channels have uprooted the power poles and the electricity was suspended to many parts of the district till Wednesday night. The telephone lines have also been washed away by rainwater and the telephone service remained suspended to different areas.

Meanwhile it was informed that the supply of Gurguri gas to DI Khan, Lakki Matwat, Tank, Bannu and Bhaker remained suspended as the repair work on the damaged pipeline near Yaqobi Kalla of district Karak could not carry out by the personnel of SNGPL due to continued torrential rain.

In DI Khan, the City and Gomal police stations had to be evacuated by the security personnel and the official records as well as weapons had to be shifted to another location.

Landslides in Alpuri, Bisham and Pooran halted inter-district communication, whereas the collapse of several bridges in the Malakand Division has worsened the situation. According to the irrigation department the flow of water is more than 8,000 cusecs and is expected to rise.

The situation in Chitral and Tank was also turbulent.

The district administration in Tank said that over 1,000 houses were damaged.

The Lawari tunnel linking Chitral to the rest of the country was also closed down as water made its way through the tunnel.

Online adds: In Charsadda, two children were killed when roof of a house collapsed while 11 were injured in other incidents.

In Kohat, 15 people were trapped when a bridge collapsed on University Road while in Mansehra, an activist of Awami National Party, Asma Nawaz died when roof of a house collapsed.

In Kohistan, 3 Chinese engineers were swept away in flooded rain while camps of engineers set up in Dabeen, Paten were destroyed due to heavy rain.  Tehsil-Jamrud Road and Pak-Afghan Highway has also been closed.

Meanwhile the district administration has started measures for the rehabilitation of affected people and emergency has been declared in all main hospitals of Peshawar.