Death toll from devastating rains in KP rises to 48

Published September 3, 2020
As many as 94 houses have been destroyed while 191 have suffered partial damage. — Photo by Umar Bacha/File
As many as 94 houses have been destroyed while 191 have suffered partial damage. — Photo by Umar Bacha/File

Five more deaths from rain-related incidents were recorded by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Thursday, raising the death toll since the start of the latest spell of downpour on August 26 to 48.

Another 67 persons have been injured, according to PDMA data, while as many as 94 houses have been destroyed, with another 191 having suffered partial damage.

The authority has told residents of Nowshera and Charsadda who live near rivers to beware as water levels rise due to the torrential rains that have lashed the province over the past week. PDMA has also urged tourists to take precautions for safety.

Yesterday, Bisham Assistant Commissioner Khurram Rehman said houses in the area that were situated near rivers had been evacuated as the flow of water was increasing.

PDMA spokesperson Taimur Ali said that the authority was in contact with all district administrations in the province. He added that aid was being provided to those affected by the floods. Aid packages, which include kitchen sets, mats, tents, first aid kits and blankets, were being dispatched to areas hit by rain and floods, which include Chitral, Kohistan and Buner.

The Chinese embassy, he said, had also sent food supplies for 800 families affected by the flood in Swat.

Residents may also call PDMA's emergency operation centre at 1700 or contact the district administration to report any untoward incident.

According to a statement from the PDMA, Peshawar and other northern areas were seeing a heavy spell of rain while flooding was reported in storm-water drains in Swat, Chitral and Kohistan.

Yesterday, 23 people were killed and many others suffered injuries in different parts of KP in the aftermath of torrential rains. Additionally, Karakoram Highway and many links roads were blocked for vehicular traffic following heavy landslides and communication and electricity supply infrastructure was damaged, interrupting the services in the division.

Last Friday, at least 20 people were killed and nine suffered injuries in flash floods caused by cloudbursts in different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Landslides also hit vehicles in Diamer district of Gilgit-Baltistan, killing a truck driver and injuring several others.

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