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Saturday September 14, 2024

88 people die after rain, floods in KP since July

At least 129 people injured since last month including 61 children, 39 men and 29 women, says PDMA

By Web Desk
August 31, 2024
A boy carries wood near a damaged house along a river following heavy monsoon rains in Mingora, a town in Pakistan´s northern Swat valley on August 28, 2022. — AFP
A boy carries wood near a damaged house along a river following heavy monsoon rains in Mingora, a town in Pakistan´s northern Swat valley on August 28, 2022. — AFP

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Saturday cited the death of at least 88 people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the wake of torrential rains in the province from July 1 till date.

The persistent monsoon rains, as per the authority, have caused devastations in the region, claiming the lives of at least 43 children, 26 men and 19 women.

The extreme weather pattern has left at least 129 people injured since last month including 61 children, 39 men and 29 women, said PDMA.

"A total of 958 houses were damaged by rains," added the authority.

The destruction, triggered by the rain, has completely destroyed 260 houses and partially damaged 698.

The numbers have been estimated a day after at least 12 members of the same family, including nine children, were killed when a massive landslide hit a house in the Upper Dir district.

According to the police, the tragic incident took place in the Maidan area of Upper Dir in the wee hours of Friday.

Tourist stuck in KP's Kumrat

Meanwhile, the ongoing rains have also impacted the movement of tourists in KP with dozens stuck in the Upper Dir district's Kumrat valley.

Assistant Commissioner Focal Person Shahid Ali told Geo News that the tourists trapped in their hotel room in the valley could not get out even on the third day.

As per the official, efforts are being made to evacuate the tourists safely today.

"At least 50 to 70 tourists have also been asked to come to Jaaz Banda," said Ali.

The rehabilitation of the Dir-Kumrat highway at Barikot has also begun, while the government is providing food and drinking items to the trapped tourists, said the official.

Pakistan is hit by heavy monsoon rains with the Pakistan Meteorological Department forecasting more widespread rain with windstorm all across the country for the next few days.

In a statement released on Friday, the Met Office said heavy rainfall was likely in Sindh, northeast/south Balochistan, northeast/central Punjab, Potohar region, Islamabad, KP, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Kashmir in 24 hours.

The weather pattern, it added, may trigger landslides in Murree, Galliyat, Mansehra, Kohistan, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Buner, Kashmir and GB.