PESHAWAR: Seven people were killed and nine others injured as heavy rain and hailstorms battered large parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the second consecutive day on Saturday, according to Rescue 1122 officials.
Three persons were killed in Bannu and two each in Shangla and Bajaur in rain-related incidents over the past 24 hours.
The deceased in Bannu were members of the same family, who died after a house wall collapsed and fell on them. Also, in the Kharian village of Bajaur’s Nawagai tehsil, a roof collapsed, leaving two people dead and a child injured.
In Shangla’s Alpuri tehsil, a house roof caved in due to downpour, resulting in two deaths. A child was injured in the accident.
According to Additional Deputy Commissioner Adnan Khatak, relief items had been given to the affected family.
Three persons were also injured in a roof collapse incident in Sher Killay of Peshawar’s Warsak Road area.
The provincial capital also received heavy rainfall and hailstorm, which inundated several roads and disrupted power supply in many areas.
Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) said 54 of its feeders in Peshawar, Nowshera, Mardan and Swat tripped after the rainfall.
The staff was working to restore power supply, the power utility company said. In Swat, residents of the picturesque Kalam Valley and its surrounding areas woke up to a blanket of snow covering the landscape.
Heavy rainfall and winds pounded lower parts of Swat Valley, including Khwazakhela, Matta, Kabal, Mingora and Barikot.
While residents enjoyed the drop in temperature following snowfall and rain, they also expressed concerns over potential flooding and damage to infrastructure.
Local authorities have issued advisories urging the residents to exercise caution while travelling, particularly in areas which received snowfall. Additionally, emergency response teams have been put on standby in low-lying areas.
In southern parts of KP, including Wana and lower South Waziristan, the two-day spell of rain has wreaked havoc.
Several valuable nut pine (chilghoza) trees have been uprooted on the Angoor Adda border.
A local, Khaliq Noor, said in many places, standing crops have been severely damaged due to flooding. In the Gor Gora area on the outskirts of Wana, more than 30 sheep and goats were washed away in the deluge on Friday.
Rain-affected people have demanded that the KP government and Provincial Disaster Management Authority conduct a detailed survey of the damage caused by rain in lower South Waziristan and announce a relief package.
Damage to wheat and tobacco crops has also been reported in Charsadda district.
Karakoram Highway reopened
The Karakoram Highway, which was blocked at multiple locations on Friday night due to landslides triggered by heavy rain, was reopened for one-way traffic by Saturday afternoon, National Highway Authority Deputy Director Ghulam Abbas told Dawn.
He said the water inundated a tunnel along the Dasu Hydropower Project in Kohistan, disrupting traffic as construction work was suspended to dewater the tunnel.
More rain predicted
According to Met Department, the amount of rainfall across the province in the past 24 hours was: 70mm in Dir Upper, 48mm in Dir Lower, 65mm in Peshawar, 64mm in Cherat, 52mm in Malam Jabba, 47mm in Saidu Sharif, 38mm in Patan, 35mm in Mardan, 32mm in Parachinar, 23mm in Balakot, 27mm in Chitral, 26mm in Drosh and 7mm in Dera Ismail Khan and Bannu.
More rain and snowfall on mountains have been predicted for Saturday night in Chitral, Dir, Swat, Kohistan, Shangla, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Haripur, Balakot, Swabi, Mardan, Charsadda, Nowshera, Malakand, Bajaur, Peshawar, Mohmand, Khyber, Karam, Kohat, Lakki Marwat, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Karak and Waziristan.
Rainfall in Punjab
In Punjab, there was moderate rain in Lahore, Sheikhpura, Kasur, Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Gujarat, Mandi Bahauddin, Narowal, Okara, Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Khushab, Mianwali, Sargodha, Khanewal, Sahiwal, Multan, and Muzaffargarh.
Areas of Lahore which received light and moderate showers on Saturday included Shahdara Town, Ravi Road, Karim Park, Gulberg, Model Town, Garden Town, Johar Town, Township and Kalma Chowk.
Meanwhile, Multan and its surroundings received heavy rain and hail storms during and after iftar.
Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2024
