PESHAWAR: Eight people, including three Afghan refugees, who were returning to Afghanistan, were killed in various rain-related incidents across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday.

The deaths, according to Rescue 1122 and Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PMDA), were reported from Khyber and Mardan district. Six deaths were reported from Khyber district, where heavy rains triggered flash floods, which washed away three vehicles travelling on Pak-Afghan Highway, whereas two deaths were reported from Mardan due to roof collapse.

Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Ahmed Faizi told Dawn that they rescued 100 persons stranded on Pak-Afghan Highway in Khyber tribal district. He said that flash flood also washed away three vehicles and they recovered six bodies from them. He said that two bodies were recovered in Landi Kotal and four in Jamrud.

He said that three Afghan nationals, who were returning from Nowshera to Afghanistan, were killed after the vehicle they were travelling in was washed away by swelled torrents. Mr Faizi said that the body of a local youth was recovered in Jamrud.

Houses, shops and roads damaged in Khyber, Mansehra, Chitral and Upper Dir

Separately, the roof of a room collapsed in Mardan’s Kalu Dheri village, leaving two children dead, according to Rescue 1122.

The emergency service said in a statement that the children’s mother and 14-year-old sister were injured in the incident. The injured were shifted to Mardan Medical Complex Hospital, it added.

Also on Monday, the director general of Rescue 1122, Shah Fahad, chaired an emergency online meeting to review the weather situation and directed all district emergency officers to remain on high alert, the emergency service’s statement detailing the meeting said.

He issued directed officials to ensure service delivery in accordance with the approved comprehensive plans. He said that rescue personnel, emergency vehicles, rescue boats and specialised equipment were deployed in all districts for emergency response. He added that rescue personnel and equipment were also deployed at temporary water rescue points.

Meanwhile, Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) said that a control room was established at the company’s headquarters while operational teams were placed on high alert in anticipation of rains.

A fresh spell of monsoon rains continued to batter Kaghan Valley and Balakot for the second consecutive day on Monday. Flash floods triggered by cloudbursts destroyed bridges, fish farms, houses and shops and blocked Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road, connecting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with Gilgit-Baltistan.

“Cloudbursts in Soach in Darmayana area of Kaghan Valley and Bamphora Balakot sent torrents carrying huge boulders onto roads, blocking Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad (MNJ) Road and leaving tourists stranded in different resorts,” Balakot Assistant Commissioner Hasrat Khan told journalists.

Intermittent monsoon rains continued in the upper parts of Hazara division throughout the day.

Tourists travelling to and from Kaghan Valley and Gilgit-Baltistan remained stranded after floodwaters and debris from nearby mountains inundated sections of MNJ Road near Soach and Balakot. Rescue 1122 personnel shifted stranded tourists and passengers to safer locations.

Floodwaters carried massive boulders and rocks onto the highway, disrupting traffic and posing serious risks to motorists and nearby residents.

“Tourists should avoid travelling to high-altitude destinations including Kaghan and Siran valleys until next week, as central roads have been blocked and Provincial Disaster Management Authority has forecast more monsoon rains across Hazara division,” Rescue 1122 said in its advisory.

Trees uprooted by strong winds and flash floods also blocked roads in parts of Siran Valley, Chaterplan and other areas.

The additional deputy commissioner of Mansehra, Asad Lodhi, said that district administration, in coordination with relevant departments, had begun assessing the damage caused by floods and cloudbursts. He said that dozens of houses, shops, fish farms, six bridges and other properties were damaged in Kaghan and Siren valleys.

“We have launched a survey of houses, shops, fish farms and other infrastructure that have been either completely or partially damaged. The assessment will be completed soon, particularly in Kaghan Valley, Siran Valley and Balakot,” he said.

Meanwhile, Rescue 1122 warned tourists and locals to stay away from the Kunhar River in Kaghan Valley and the Siran River in Siren Valley, as water level had risen sharply following heavy rainfall and cloudbursts.

In Swabi district, Rescue 1122 rescued 70 tourists, who were stranded in the Indus River in Hund area.

An official said that most of the tourists had come from Peshawar and had dinner on the bank of Indus and got stranded during their return.

The flash floods triggered by monsoon rains lashing the central part of Lower Chitral caused extensive damage to roads, bridges, drinking water supply schemes across Sheshi Koh Valley and the villages of Drosh, Rumbur, Bumburate, Birir and Jughur on Monday.

Lower Chitral DC Rao Mohammad Hashim Azim told Dawn that no casualty to human life was caused by the flood as vulnerable people dashed to safer places after community-based early warning system timely warned them.

He said that the lives of five persons was saved who had stranded in the midst of flood in Sheshi Koh Valley as Rescue 1122 team shifted them to safe places.

He said that due to the loss of bridges connecting the two strips of Sheshi Koh Valley, the connection of the residents of the two opposite banks had lost while link roads connecting smaller villages were also washed away by flood.

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2026