CHITRAL: A teenage girl was killed as a glacial flood swept away six houses, partially damaged 16 others and inundated standing crops of wheat and beans in the remote Yarkhoon Lusht village of Baroghil valley here on Friday.

Upper Chitral deputy commissioner Shah Saud told Dawn that the flood was caused by abnormal increase in temperature which triggered unusual melting of glacier in the village’s highlands.

He said a teenage girl identified as Hafiza, a student of class 9, was buried alive under debris brought on by flood. Her body was later recovered. No other casualty was reported as the people had already fled to safer places on being warned timely.

Mr Saud said the Yarkhoon Lusht police station and a post of Chitral Scouts were inundated.

The deputy commissioner said he had dispatched food items to the affected area soon after receiving news of the floods, and the assistant commissioner concerned had also been rushed to the spot to supervise relief operations.

The road to Baroghil valley has been closed for vehicular traffic after glacial flood washed away a stretch of more than 500 meters in the village.

INJURED SHIFTED TO PESHAWAR: All the 11 persons, who were injured when a balcony of a hotel in Terich Mir collapsed on Thursday, were shifted to a Peshawar hospital by an army helicopter on Friday.

A doctor in the DHQ hospital where they were being treated after the accident said except two all were in stable condition. He said majority of them had sustained head injuries.

Published in Dawn, August 15th, 2020