Apr 04 , 2016
News
Rains wreak havoc in northwest; 50 lose life
* Dozens others injured as heavy rains in KP, GB and Kashmir cause roofs of dozens of homes to collapse, trigger landslides
ISLAMABAD: At least 50 people were killed and dozens others injured in torrential rains and landslides in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan.According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 10 people were killed in Shangla, four in Swat, 12 in Kohistan, two each in Bannu, Batagram and Mardan while one each in Malakand, Upper Dir, Mansehra, Chitral and Charsadda.
KP government spokesman Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani confirmed the casualties and said most of the damage was caused by landslides and incidents of roof collapse.
Deputy Commissioner Neelam District Abdul Majeed Kiyani said that rescue teams recovered eight bodies buried under the rubble.
“Rescue officials, with the help of locals, recovered five women and three children buried under the rubble,” said Kiyani.
The worst-hit area was Kohistan where 12 deaths were reported, followed by Shangla district where rains and landslides killed 10 people.
Most of the deaths were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province during a downpour that began Saturday night, the PDMA spokesman said.
The number known to have died had now risen to 50, the spokesman said, adding reports were still awaited from a few more remote areas.
Rainfall and flooding in the Peshawar valley caused the Bara Khowar Lake to overflow. Over 70 shops near the Batta Thal Pull were washed away, while several others were partially damaged.
A number of homes, crops and orchards were also destroyed in the province as a result of rainfall and flooding.
A number of houses were also damaged and bridges swept away by flood water in different parts of the province. Heavy rain and hailstorm lashed Loralai city and its outskirts.
Reports of sliding have also been received from Neelum Valley of Azad Kashmir.
Eight persons of the same family were killed in Sharda when their house collapsed due to landslides.
Four members of a family have also been killed and three others injured in Chilas when roof of their house collapsed in Jichen.
The communication link has been disconnected due to torrential rain in Gilgit Baltistan.
Two persons were washed away by flood water at Palagai area of Swat while one child was died and two others injured due to roof caved in at Chalmaari area of Charsadda.
Landslide killed one in Gogor village of District Chitral, police control Chitral confirmed here Sunday.
Talking to APP, an official of the Police Control District Chitral said that the torrential rain is continue since Thursday last without any interruption, creating problem for the people of mountainous Chitral with shortage of food.
He said the body of the deceased, identified as Islam Shah, was also recovered by the debris and was handed over to his heirs.
He said the people were struck to their houses due to heavy rain, with warning has also been issued to the local people to reframe from crossing the swallow streams in order to avoid any danger to precious human life.
“Peshawar has reported 34mm of rain till last night and is still continuing,” the regional office of the Met department said.
Connecting roads were blocked in at least six different zones of Hazara and Malakand divisions, mainly because of landslides in glacial area.
Ghani said that KP government has initiated relief work and the government machinery is working round the clock to carry out rescue and relief activities.
The PDMA has dispatched relief goods, including two hundred tents each to Swat, Shangla, Upper Dir, Lower Dir, and Kohistan districts, Radio Pakistan reported.
The NDMA had issued a weather advisory on March 31 warning of severe weather from Friday to Sunday.
Poorly-built homes, particularly in rural areas, are most susceptible to collapse during heavy spring rains.
Severe weather hits the country every year, with hundreds killed and huge tracts of prime farmland destroyed in recent years.
During the rainy season last summer, torrential downpours and flooding killed 81 people and affected almost 300,000 people across the country.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has expressed grief and sorrow over the loss of human lives due to floods caused by rains in different parts of KP.
According to a statement, the prime minister has directed NDMA and other authorities concerned to ensure timely relief activities for the victims, including provision of proper medical care, food and shelter for the affected.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk