Seven dead, nine injured as rainstorm hits KP

PESHAWAR: Seven people were killed and nine others were wounded as rains and hailstorms lashed different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the last two days.

Several houses collapsed or sustained partial damage due to the heavy rains, accompanied by an unusual hailstorm. The hailstorm also caused damage to numerous vehicles, windowpanes, and solar panels installed on rooftops.

According to officials from Rescue 1122, three people died in Bannu when the wall of their house collapsed.

In the Banda Cheena area of Shangla district, two children died and another was injured when the house of Aitbar Khan collapsed due to rain.

Rescue 1122 officials promptly responded to the incident, transporting the injured child, Razia, to the District Headquarters Hospital in Alpuri. The deceased were identified as Irfanullah and Ruqayya.

Additionally, two children were killed in a roof collapse incident in Bisham tehsil of the district a day earlier.

The rain and thunderstorms disrupted the electricity supply to many areas in the remote Shangla district, washing away some link roads. Lightning also struck various small hydropower stations in Shangla, rendering them out of order.

In Nawagai tehsil in Bajaur district, a woman and her daughter died, while her husband and two-year-old son were injured when the roof of their mud house collapsed.

A police official reported that the roof of Idrees’ house collapsed due to heavy rains, resulting in the deaths of his wife and daughter, with Idrees and his son Muawiya sustaining injuries.

Police officials and Rescue 1122 personnel rushed to the spot, pulling out the dead and injured from the debris and transporting them to a nearby hospital.

Moreover, several people were wounded in Peshawar, Nowshera, Shangla, Bannu, and other areas.

Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur instructed the administration across the province to expedite relief and rescue operations in the affected areas.

Many roads in Peshawar remained flooded after the hailstorm and heavy rain, leading to severe traffic congestion in almost all parts of the city.

The rains also exposed deficiencies in the sewerage system in many areas, causing significant inconvenience to the public. Power outages also persisted in many parts of the KP after the downpour.

During the first week of March, at least 40 people, including 27 children, lost their lives, while 62 people were wounded in roof and wall collapse incidents due to rains and landslides in Peshawar, Dir, Bajaur, Mardan, Malakand, and other areas. Approximately 635 houses were either damaged or destroyed.