PESHAWAR: Eight people were killed in rain-related incidents in Peshawar Lower Dir and Mohmand tribal district on Wednesday as widespread downpour lashed different parts of the province.

In the provincial capital, four members of a family were killed when roof of their house collapsed in Mattani area. A Rescue 1122 spokesperson said that a woman and her three children were buried beneath the rubble after the roof collapsed due to rain. He said that rescuers pulled out their dead bodies from the rubble.

In Lower Dir, a man, his wife and daughter were killed when roof of their house caved in late on Tuesday night in Kabalo Kotigram area.

The residents and police said that the inmates were fast asleep when the roof collapsed due to breaking up of its wooden beam. They said that mudslide caused the tragic incident as a heavy load of mud fell on the roof. The victims were identified as Anwar Ali, his wife and his 2-year-old daughter Uroosha.

Link roads blocked and agricultural lands inundated in different areas

Local people rushed to the site and retrieved the bodies from the debris. They demanded of government and district administration to compensate the family.

Also on Tuesday and Wednesday, the district administration issued emergency warnings when water flow in the Panjkora River increased to an alarming level due to the two-day torrential rain.

Landslide blocked several link roads in Shahi, Binshahi and Upper Maidan. Nomad families residing on the riverbank near Timergara bypass road were suffered hard as their tents were swept away by flood in the river. The volunteers of Al-Khidmat Foundation provided the families with essential commodities and temporary shelters. The residents demanded of the government to compensate the farmers and nomad families.

The floodwater also swept away agricultural lands in Rabat, Balambat, Saddo, Mian Banda and Odigram and destroyed standing crops.

In Mohmand tribal district, a woman was killed in Shahbaig Main Gan on Wednesday evening when a portion of a wall of her house collapsed after heavy rain.

Residents of the area said wife of Roza Amin was busy in domestic work near the boundary wall of the house when it collapsed and fell on her. She died on the spot.

Local residents and police retrieved her body. Many links road were inundated and several rooms collapsed in the tribal district due to torrential rain.

In Chitral, About 92 passengers suffered on Tuesday night as they remained stuck in the way when a big hillock slipped down and blocked the road in Mroi village.

Dildar Ali, one of the passengers going to Upper Chitral, told Dawn that a hillock slipped down and blocked the road due to incessant rain for two days. He added that passengers including women and children faced problems as it was nighttime.

He said that district administration officials brought them back to the city where they were offered lodging facilities in hotels and dinner was served from where they restarted their journey when the road was cleared on Wednesday afternoon.

In Charsadda, the administration issued alert low flood warning in the Swat River near Khyali area on Wednesday.

The flood water inundated agricultural lands in different areas on the banks of river. Increase in the water level in the river worried local people.

The deputy commissioner visited the areas near the river and directed assistant commissioner, Rescue 1122, police and irrigation department to take precautionary measures.

Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2020