At least 28 people have been killed while dozens of others are missing as the deadly flash flood wreaked havoc in different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Friday morning.
The ongoing torrential rains and flash floods across the country have wreaked havoc, with the death toll reaching 30 in various areas of Azad Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan. Dozens of people have been injured and displaced, and life has been paralysed in many areas.
Severe destruction was witnessed in the Neelum Valley district of Azad Kashmir due to a cloud burst. 20 houses were buried under rubble, 6 members of the same family died, and one was injured. 50 tourists stranded in the Neelum Valley have been rescued, while efforts are underway to evacuate another 60.
A tourist vehicle was swept away in a drain in the Bagh area. 4 people were rescued safely. Landslides and power outages in the Jhelum Valley have disrupted normal life. Bridges, roads, shops and educational institutions have been destroyed. Three people stranded in the Poonch River in Hajira have been rescued.
Rains have also wreaked havoc in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A cloudburst in Bajaur’s Salarzai tehsil killed 9 people, a roof collapse in Lower Dir killed 5 people and injured 4 others, and two bridges in Balakot were washed away by flash floods, disrupting traffic.
In Gilgit-Baltistan’s Ghizer district, an entire village was wiped out by the bursting of Gulshiai Lake. Six people died in the accident, while several houses, shops and vehicles were destroyed. Two people drowned in Yasin and Dayin, while siblings went missing in Diamer-Bunir.
In Ishkoman, flash floods damaged 15 houses and vast agricultural lands. Landslides have blocked roads in the Baltistan Highway and Sadpara, cutting off communication in the area.
Rains continue to fall in Islamabad, Punjab and other parts of the country, causing severe hardship to citizens. The Meteorological Department has predicted more rain in the next few days, due to which emergency agencies have been alerted.
Meanwhile Assistant Commissioner Battagram Saleem Khan said the lightning strike resulted in heavy flooding in the area. So far, 10 bodies have been recovered from the river near the Shimlai Mandarwali location.
Neel Band village is located on the border of Battagram and Mansehra districts, where five houses were swept away by a flash flood and lightning last night. Rescue teams, police and local volunteers are busy in relief operations to search for more people.
Meanwhile, in Buner, five people have been swept away in a flash flood in the Daggar area. The flood also caused injury to five people who were shifted to DHQ Daggar, where emergency measures have been imposed.
MNA Buner Barrister Gohar said that soon helicopter would soon reach the district to evacuate any stranded persons and participate in the relief activities. He left Islamabad for Buner to visit the affected areas. He also expressed sympathy with affected families.
Read also: Casualties feared as floods wreak havoc across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan
