SHANGLA/MANSEHRA/SWAT: Four people were killed due to lightning in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as heavy rains coupled with thunderstorms wreaked havoc in Shangla, Mansehra and Swat districts in the early hours of Wednesday.

A couple and their son were killed in Lilownai Achar area of Shangla district when lightning struck their house.

A spokesman for Rescue 1122 told Dawn that the incident occurred in a remote village near district headquarters Alpuri.

He identified the victims as Yar Mohammad, his wife and one of their sons and said three other children present in the house remained unharmed.

Residents complain of road closures, power outages

The incident came as heavy rain and thunderstorms lashed the region for a second consecutive day, triggering widespread landslides and flash floods.

Karakoram Highway and various other link roads were closed, leaving a large number of passengers, including women and children, stranded.

Fallen electricity poles suspended power supply to most areas of tehsils of Puran, Martung and Makhozi to the frustration of residents.

In Mansehra district, a man was killed by lightning, while the Karakoram Highway was blocked to traffic between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan due to heavy downpour and snowfall in upper parts of Hazara Division.

The rainfall, which began in early hours of the day, continued intermittently all through the day in Mansehra, Torghar, Upper and Lower Kohistan and Kolai-Palas districts, turning the weather cold.

The rain, followed by thunderstorms and lightning, terrified people in the mountainous areas.

Sheraz Shah alias Shani and his friend, Zain Shah, who were on their way home in the Tajal Mera area of Mansehra district, were hit by lightning. Both were rushed to a nearby health centre but the doctors pronounced Sheraz Shah dead and admitted his friend due to critical condition.

The Karakoram Highway was blocked at various points in Upper Kohistan, suspending inter-district traffic as well as between KP and GB.

People travelling between both regions remained stranded in their vehicles on the KKH.

In a statement, the administration of Lower Kohistan said around 60 passengers, including 13 women and children, were shifted to shelter houses in the Pattan area before being provided with meals at Sehr time amid the blocking of KKH in the neighbouring Upper Kohistan district.

The KKH, Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road and urban parts of cities and towns were inundated by heavy rainfall, affecting traffic. Also, snow fell on high-altitude parts of the Hazara Division, plunging the mercury to minus two degrees Celsius.

Heavy snowfall, which started in early hours of the day in Kaghan, Siren and Konsh valleys of Mansehra district, Kandia and Spat valleys in Kohistan and other high-altitude parts of the division, continued the rest of the day.

In the Mingora area of Swat district, the heavy rain, which began on Tuesday night, flooded a major section of the Grand Trunk Road, turning the stretch from Rahimabad to Qambar into a large pond to disrupt traffic.

The worst affected portion was the road in front of City Centre up to Balogram, where accumulated rainwater made it nearly impossible for vehicles to pass. Several cars, motorcycles and rickshaws remained stranded as the water level rose, forcing commuters to wait for hours to see the water recede.

People badly suffered as the flooded road is one of the busiest arteries of the city and connects the district courts, offices of the district administration, the university, colleges and major hospitals.

Shopkeeper Sajid Khan said the problem occurred every time it rained.

“Whenever there is heavy rain, this road turns into a pond. Vehicles stay away, so customers cannot reach our shops. We’ve informed authorities about this issue many times, but to no avail,” he said.

Commuter Naseemullah, who remained stuck in traffic for nearly an hour, expressed frustration over the poor drainage system.

“This is the main road of Mingora and thousands of vehicles pass here daily. However, after every rain, it becomes impassable because there is no proper drainage,” he said.

College student Ibrar Khan complained that the situation affected students the most.

“Many students couldn’t reach colleges and schools on time. Some motorcycles returned after finding the water too deep to pass through,” he said.

Haji Rahman Gul of Rahimabad urged authorities to address the issue urgently.

“This road connects hospitals, courts and government offices. During emergencies people cannot even cross it. The government must improve the drainage system so that rainwater does not accumulate on the road,” he said.

The residents demanded of the district administration to introduce an effective drainage system along the GT Road to prevent rainwater accumulation on the roads of Mingora.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2026