Washed away: 10 die as rain brings trail of destruction in K-P

Roof collapse incidents claim several lives; crops and poultry also destroyed

SHABQADAR/ PESHAWAR/ DI KHAN:

At least 10 people died while over a dozen others were injured as heavy rain coupled with strong winds lashed various parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Villages across Shabqadar witnessed a heavy downpour on Thursday night. As a result, five people lost their lives while three others were wounded. There was no electricity in the area from 8pm onwards till the filing of this report the next day.

Maize crops also took a pounding from the heavy rain which lasted an hour, while fruit and vegetable fields were also destroyed. In MC 3-Shabqadar, three of a family were killed when the roof of their house caved in. Meanwhile, in Battagram union council, two minors died under similar circumstances. Three others were also wounded in two roof collapses.

In Jamrud tehsil of Khyber Agency, three minors also died in a roof collapse incident. Two others lost their lives in rain-related incidents in Bannu. Meanwhile, a poultry farm was washed away by floodwater in the Prang area of Mohmand Agency. The owner claimed as many as 3,000 chickens were lost. A shop was destroyed when it was struck by lightning in the Baizai subdivision.

Turned on its head

Eight people were injured when a passenger bus overturned at Sarband Chowk on Bara Road. A Rescue 1122 team saved the passengers with the help of water rescue vans and ambulances and shifted them to a hospital.

Rescuers rushed to Kachi Muhala, Kala Bhari where walls of houses collapsed while water entered houses in Askari-V, Pawakai, Nothia, Abdara Road, Landi Sarak, Wahid Garhi, Tehkal, Abshar Colony and Palosai. Motorway billboards were strewn all over the road due to the strong winds. Electric supply lines were also damaged.

Wapda officials did not attend any phone calls which further infuriated the people. Insiders said some 43 grid stations tripped and electricity could not be restored to the majority of Peshawar till late on Friday evening. Pesco Spokesperson Shaukat Afzal said four men working on the restoration of power were injured. The heavy transmission line of Wapda on Landai Sarak also collapsed which forced residents to remain in the dark throughout the night.

The rain may have eased off the heat in Peshawar, but locals spent most of their Thursday night clearing standing water from houses, shops and markets. The roads were also inundated by torrential rainfall. An official confirmed the high intensity rain broke the heatwave in the city. Electricity supply was also disrupted for a few hours in Gulbahar, Saddar, Hayatabad and other areas.

The Peshawar district administration reported five houses were completely damaged while five others were partially damaged. PDMA has authorised the district administrations to provide compensation to the families of the deceased and provide relief if necessary.

The torrential rain also caused interruptions in flight schedules at Bacha Khan International Airport on Thursday night. Officials said windows of a private plane were broken and the airport administration stated that an international flight was delayed till the morning. The domestic and international arrival of flights to Peshawar was shifted to Islamabad.

A total of 54mm of rain fell over the city itself, while 64mm lashed the province overall.

DI Khan inundated

The heavy storm in DI Khan may have brought reprieve from the heat for some in DI Khan, but others suffered in the rain, especially inmates of DI Khan Central Jail. Prisoners suffered as the jail’s front wall collapsed and water was leaking into their cells in other parts of the building.

Recently, a sessions judge from DI Khan visited the prison and warned that officials would be held responsible if a prisoner is injured due to a structural collapse.

More rain

Scattered rain and thunderstorms with isolated heavy falls are expected in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa from Friday to Monday, the Met department said. Due to the interaction of monsoon currents and a westerly wave, isolated parts of Hazara, Peshawar and Mardan Divisions and the catchment areas of major rivers may receive heavy rainfall from Friday night to Sunday.

There was also a warning of flash floods due to the combination of high temperatures and rainfall in the northern areas.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 22^nd, 2015.