CHITRAL/SHANGLA: Torrential rains caused flash floods in Lower Chitral and Shangla, damaging bridges, roads, houses and farmland on Tuesday.

The southern parts of Lower Chitral district from Drosh to Lowari Pass encompassing the valleys of Sheshi Koh, Arsoon, Damil and Jinjirait Koh received heaviest rain of the season in the early hours of Tuesday triggering flash floods that disrupted life in the area.

The flash floods also hit Chitral-Peshawar Road, the major artery connecting Chitral with the rest of the country, at a length of more than 30 kilometres from Drosh to Lowari tunnel, stranding hundreds of passengers in Lowari Pass, who passed the night in vehicles.

The roads leading to the valleys of Arsoon, Sheshi Koh and Jinjirait Koh were also hit by the floods closing them for vehicular traffic as well as pedestrians.

No casualties reported; revenue teams dispatched for damage assessment; rain to continue until 19th

No casualty was reported from any part of the affected areas, while heavy loss was reportedly caused to farmlands and orchards as well as the low-lying pastures, which were washed away by the flood.

A number of families had moved to the safer places in the distant places of Sheshi Koh Valley and Jinjirait Koh, while a number of homes were partially damaged by the flood as per initial survey.

Lower Chitral deputy commissioner Mohammad Hashim Azeem told Dawn that Chitral-Peshawar Road and Sheshi Koh Valley roads were opened for light traffic, while Arson Road and Janjarit Koh Road were yet to be reopened.

He said no casualties had been reported from the floods and teams of revenue staff had been dispatched to make detailed assessment of damage to homes and property.

Meanwhile, Al-Khidmat Foundation volunteers reached some of the affected spots with food and non-food items in the far-flung villages of Sheshi Koh.

Elsewhere, heavy rain caused massive destruction in Kana tehsil of Shangla district on Tuesday morning sweeping away bridges in Belkanai and Damorai areas.

According to the locals, heavy rain coupled with strong winds hit Kana tehsil’s upper union councils Olandar, Belkanai and Damorai, where two crucial bridges connecting the areas with the rest of the district were swept away.

The heavy rain lashed the district on Monday night and continued on Tuesday.

Irfan Babu, a local resident, said rains caused severe damage to the standing crops.

He said the Lilonai-Tabulkanai Road had been blocked by landslides at Bata Tangi.

He demanded that the district administration immediately restore the road so that people can bring ration to their homes as the Met Department had predicted more rains till Sept 19.

Jamal Khan, a resident of Dunkkacha Puran, demanded that the government speed up the rehabilitation work in the flood-hit areas.

Meanwhile, rainwater inundated a government primary school situated in the constituency of provincial minister for elementary and secondary education Faisal Khan Tarakai as heavy downpour hit the Swabi district in the early hours of Tuesday.

Haji Mumtaz Khan, a resident of Swabi city, told Dawn that local education authorities failed to make arrangements for draining rainwater from the building.

When contacted, district education officer Hafiz Mohammad Nawaz, told Dawn that they had not received any complaint about rainwater accumulating in the school.

Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2025