HARIPUR /GILGIT:
At least 17 people were killed and six others were injured on Friday in Hazara and Gilgit-Baltistan as rain continued to wreak havoc across the regions. Around 89 people have died in rain-related accidents in other parts of Pakistan.
Gilgit
Around 11 people were killed and five others were injured on Friday in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B).
The rain, which started lashing the region a day earlier, also triggered landslides. One landslide swept away at least eight people in Niyat Valley of Diamer district on Friday, taking the death toll to 11 across G-B.
“I have been told eight people have been killed in a landslide,” SI Jehangir Khan told The Express Tribune. “We have dispatched a team for rescue and relief.”
The incident occurred at 4pm and according to the police, two women and two children were among the dead in the avalanche in Niyat.
In Karis in Ghanche district, a car was hit by another landslide, killing three passengers and injuring two others. Two people were also wounded when the roof of a house collapsed in Kwardo, Skardu.
In Shigar Valley, a man was injured when he was hit by a boulder.
The landslides also swept away parts of Gilgit-Skardu road, suspending traffic between the two towns. Similarly, traffic between Gilgit and Rawalpindi was also suspended after Karakoram Highway was damaged in Chilas and Kohistan.
According to reports, the road leading to Astor Valley has also been damaged by landslides, adding to the miseries of the people.
As the rainfall continues, water levels in Ghizer, Hunza, Astor and Skardu rivers have also risen to an alarming level, threatening the lives and properties of those living in the low-lying areas.
Hazara
Around six villagers were killed and one other was injured when the roofs of two houses collapsed in different parts of Hazara, said the police on Friday.
According to officials and people of the area, family members of Naseer, a driver, were asleep in their house in Dartiyan village, some 20 kilometres from Khanpur. Heavy downpour caused the roof to cave in, killing all the occupants.
Locals found the family buried under the rubble in the morning and freed them from the debris. Those killed were identified as Naseer’s wife Rukhsana Bibi, 38, their son Hamza, 16, daughter Raeesa Bibi and Naseer’s niece Beenish Bibi, 14.
The second accident was reported from Khilaray village in the jurisdiction of Phulra union council. Imran, 25, his cousins Jamshed, 22, and Awais, 13, were sleeping when the roof fell on them, killing Imran and Awais on the spot.
Villagers managed to rescue Jamshed and took him to King Abdullah Teaching Hospital.
Several houses in Khanpur, Mansehra, Galiyat and Kaghan were damaged partially in the rain while countless goats, buffaloes and cows perished when barn roofs collapsed.
Late awakening?
Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has directed the home department, Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), and divisional and district administrations to pre-empt emergency situations in the wake of fatalities in Punjab and Azad Kashmir.
In a statement issued on Friday evening, Khattak stressed on the need to be prepared to deal with expected rain and floods, as well as the losses from them in an effective manner. Prior measures can minimize loss of human lives and properties, he said.
He asked all relevant authorities to remain in close contact and coordinate with the Met office and federal government organisations.
Khattak expressed heartfelt sympathies with those affected by the storms across the province.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 6th, 2014.
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