PESHAWAR: At least twelve people were killed and 21 others were wounded in several rain-related incidents across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the past 24 hours as rains continued to lash large parts of KP, Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan on Sunday.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) of KP has confirmed 12 deaths across the province.

The authority said that six people were killed in Karak district on Sunday, and one each in Lower Dir, Charsadda and South Waziristan district.

Four people were washed away by floods in Lawaghar Algada area of Karak district. It said that a search for their bodies is in progress.

In Tank district, a woman and her two children died while four other family members were injured in a roof collapse incident. The deceased were identified as Asma Bibi, her daughter Sadia Bibi and son Waheed Ullah.

The Tank-South Waziri­stan road has also been closed for traffic due to flood-like situation in streams and nullahs.

In Mansehra district, thousands of tourists and locals, who remained stranded in Kaghan and Manor valleys for six days, left for their respective destinations on foot on Sunday after the Frontier Works Organisation built a temporary pavement on Manor stream in Mahandri area.

Flash floods triggered by monsoon rains have wreaked havoc in Kaghan and Manor valleys and washed away the central bridge on the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad road.

A woman and her son, and around two dozen hotels, houses and electric turbines fixed on Manor stream were also swept away in the area.

“The stranded tourists and locals have started leaving both valleys by foot following a temporary pavement created after fixing mega concrete pipes in Manor stream,” Ali Asghar, a manager of a hotel in Naran, told reporters.

The district administration has asked tourists not to visit the Kaghan Valley until the situation deteriorated by flash floods caused by the monsoon spell, becomes normal.

Artificial lake

The district administration and National Highway Authority are still indecisive about bursting or creating spillways to gush out water from an artificial lake created at Mahandri after huge boulders, brought to the area by Manor stream torrents, blocked the Kunhar River flow.

In Mohmand district, a bridge on Aqrab Daag to Shaheed Banda Daman link road near Babi Mohmand was damaged by flood waters, disrupting vehicular traffic between Aqrab Daag and Ekkaghund Bazaar, officials said on Sunday.

As a part of the bridge has been washed away. authorities have closed the bridge for traffic.

Flash flood in Balochistan

The National Disaster Management Authority on Sunday cautioned that high to very high-level flash flooding is likely in some parts of Balochistan.

The authority said that nullahs of Zhob, Kalat, Nasirabad and Sibbi divisions due to hill torrents are likely to experience high to very high levels of flash floods which may damage infrastructures.

Similarly, hill torrents of local nullahs of D.G. Khan are likely to experience high to very high level flash flooding.

It warned that all people living in villages/towns or settlements near nullahs might be affected by increased water flows.

On the northern side, the catchment areas of Kabul River and its tributaries have received significant rainfall, which may cause high flood in Nowshera and the river’s tributaries.

The authority instr­ucted all relevant departments to take necessary steps to deal with possible effects of flooding and extreme weather.

Flood in Gilgit-Baltistan

Gilgit-Baltistan officials said on Sunday that flood in Rahimabad nullah damaged cultivated land, uprooted trees and destroyed water supply channels downstream. Flood water crossed over Rahimanad bridge on the KKH, but it is still safe.

The flash flood from Rahimabad nullah bloc­ked water flow in Hunza river at Rahimabad village.

The rising water in Hunza river also caused land erosion in Jutal, Nomal and Faizanad areas of Gilgit.

Similarly, flash flood from Jaglote Guru nullah damaged a hotel and some other private properties downstream.

The flood also blocked Babusar-Chilas Road at Diamer and damaged some properties.

In Mushkay area, flash flood damaged land and private properties and water supply channels.

Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2024