At least five children lost their lives in rain-related incidents across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swat district as torrential rains triggered flash floods in various parts of the region, rescue officials said on Tuesday.
Monsoon rains continue to lash many parts of the country, prompting authorities to release an urban flooding warning. According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), 221 people have been killed and more than 500 others injured in rain-related incidents since June 26.
According to Rescue 1122 spokesperson Shafiqa Gul, a woman and her two sons were attempting to cross a stream in the Sur Dherai area of Malam Jabba, when her children drowned.
“The mother, holding her 10-month-old baby in her arms, was trying to guide her seven-year-old son across the stream when a flash flood struck. In the chaos, she lost control, and the child in her arms was swept away,” Gul said.
The bodies of the two sons were recovered by rescue personnel after hours of coordinated effort, the official added.
In a separate incident in Gujar Band Shanko area of Madyan, a house collapsed due to heavy rainfall, claiming the lives of three children and seriously injuring a woman.
Upon receiving the emergency call, Rescue 1122 teams rushed to the scene and retrieved the victims from the rubble with assistance from local volunteers, the spokesperson said.
They were later taken to the Civil Hospital Madyan, where the injured woman was placed under critical care.
Authorities have issued advisories urging residents, particularly those living in mountainous or low-lying areas, to exercise extreme caution during the ongoing monsoon season.
The district administration said it was closely monitoring weather patterns and has mobilised emergency services to respond to any further incidents caused by the relentless rains.
In June, at least 13 tourists were swept to their deaths in Swat while sheltering from flash floods on a raised river bank.
Damages as rain spell hits KP
A new spell of monsoon rains on Monday hit several parts of the province, damaging houses and crops and suspending traffic.
The high flood in Chitral River triggered by the fast melting of glaciers washed six houses and a large chunk of the farmlands of Junali Koch village near Booni town.
In Yarkhon Valley of Upper Chitral, heavy rains wreaked havoc in Arakhan village in Mirgram and severely damaged dozens of houses. According to residents of the affected villages, a large number of livestock were washed away by the flash floods.
Similarly, the Chitral River was flooded, leaving houses and infrastructure in Ayunand and other low-lying areas of Lower Chitral at risk of damage.
In Bajaur tribal district, authorities closed the Jar Bypass Road, which connects the district to the rest of the country via the main Bajaur-Munda Road, to traffic after heavy rains triggered flooding.
District authorities urged people to use Khar-Qazfi Bypass Road to avoid any potential incidents. Rescue 1122 stated that rescuers have been deployed to deal with any emergency eventuality.
The downpour damaged road infrastructure and bridges in some areas and caused suspension of traffic on Darra Tang Road. Goods and public transport vehicles travelling between KP and Punjab were stranded, adding to the troubles of transporters and commuters.
