LAKKI MARWAT: Two persons, including a girl, were swept away by gushing waters while crossing a nullah as torrential rains wreaked havoc in parts of Lakki Marwat on Thursday evening.

Rescue sources and locals said heavy rains flooded water channels and nullahs in the Betanni tribal subdivision and other towns of the district.

They said a tribesman, Mohammad Iqbal, 52, and a minor girl, Baitun Nisa, 8, were swept away by flash floods when they were crossing a nullah in the tribal subdivision.

They said divers of rescue service and locals pulled out the bodies from the water course.

The downpour and subsequent flash floods also damaged roads, culverts and causeways disconnecting rural areas with urban localities.

The flooding also damaged a diversion dirt track of Lakki-Darra Tang portion of Bannu-Mianwali Road and washed away a causeway on Mela Mandrakhel-Zangikhel road.

The earth embankments built by the district administration proved helpful to save residential areas from floods.

Deputy commissioner

Fazal Akbar visited the flood-hit areas and instructed the officials to launch rehabilitation work.

Meanwhile, the assistant director of the local government and rural development department has asked employees to ensure their presence at duty stations owing to the flood situation.

In a circular issued on Friday, the secretaries of village and neighbourhood councils, Class-IV employees and janitors have been directed not to leave their respective duty stations, keep liaison with tehsil supervisors and take all possible measures to avoid any loss of life in rains and floods.

ARREST: The police arrested a wanted man in injured condition after an exchange of fire in Nar Mohammad Ghaznikhel area of Naurang town on Friday.

An official said Ghafoor and Ahmad Khan had escaped after killing a man and a woman in Gandi Chowk on Thursday night.

He said a party of Shaheed Asmatullah Khan Khattak police station came under fire when they encircled the hideout of the suspects,” he said, adding police returned the fire and succeeded in capturing one of the wanted men, Ghafoor, in injured condition.

He said the cops seized a gun, a pistol and bullets from the arrested man and shifted him to hospital.

Also in the day, a man committed suicide in Tajazai area of Lakki Marwat.

Police said Farmanullah, 25, who was mentally disturbed, shot himself dead with a pistol.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2022