12 more deaths in K-P, FATA as rain continues

Total death toll climbs to 43; mostly women and children among dead

SWABI/ ABBOTTABAD/ CHITRAL/ PESHAWAR/ UPPER DIR/ SHANGLA/ CHARSADDA:

With 12 more rain-related deaths on Friday, the number of people who have lost their lives due to inclement weather in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas has risen to 43. A majority of them were children.

Around 38 people, 15 from K-P and 23 from the tribal areas, had died in the rain up until Thursday. However, three more people died in the province and four others sustained injuries.



At least six people were killed when the roof of a house collapsed in Data Khel tehsil of North Waziristan, FATA Disaster Management Authority Director General Fayaz Ali Shah said.

Officials in the political administration told The Express Tribune the incident occurred at Mami Rogha village in Manzarkhel. The deceased included two women and four children. All of them were from one family.

Three people died and four others were wounded when roofs collapsed in Charsadda.

Officials stated Abdul Rashid died and two of his children were injured when the roof of a room caved in on Friday in Tangi, Charsadda district. In addition, the roof of a veranda in Khalid’s home collapsed in Mandani area, killing Umair and Zahida, while Amirzadgai was injured and rushed to the hospital.

In Topi, Swabi a girl died when roof of her house caved in.



Meanwhile, two women were killed and a minor girl was injured and two dozen mud houses were damaged in the countryside areas of Hazara Division on Friday.

The rain that started lashing Hazara Division on Wednesday evening continued intermittently till Friday, triggering landslides in different parts of the division. In Missar village of Kothiala, the roof of the mud house of Shamraiz caved in on Thursday evening, killing his wife Shamshad Bibi on the spot. His five-year-old daughter Gulnaz Bibi narrowly escaped, but did suffer injuries.

In Paras, Kaghan Valley, the house of Muhammad Saeed collapsed, killing his wife Gulshan Bibi, 44, on the spot. Five houses collapsed in Nara Amazai union council, damaging belongings worth hundreds of thousands. Different link roads of Hazara were also closed after landslides, locals added.

Bringing disaster

According to details shared by officials, five people died in the provincial capital since the current downpour began. Two each also lost their lives in Mardan and Bannu, while Swabi, Tank, Malakand, Lakki Marwat, Shangla and Chitral saw one death each.

Official statistics showed 19 persons suffered wounds. Seven of the injured were in Mardan, four each from Peshawar and Tank districts, two from Lower Dir and one each in Bannu and Swat.

A document read 95 houses were also damaged in K-P with the majority—around 33— in Peshawar followed by 15 and 16 in Abbottabad and Swabi districts, respectively.

Seven houses were damaged in Mardan, five each in Malakand and Swat, three each in Buner and Shangla, two each in Bannu, Lower Dir and Lakki Marwat, and one each in Upper Dir and Tank.



Showers flooded Besham city in Shangla and the cold wave dragged the mercury down in the hilly district. The Silk Route was completely inundated by floodwaters.

The situation was almost the same in Chitral district as persistent rain and snowfall lashed the city, disrupting electricity and the flow of traffic at the Lowari Top. However, the tunnel remained open for traffic.

Officials stated some six inches snow was recorded in the Laspoor area, two feet in Shandur, five inches in Morkahu Gahet and 2.5 feet in Tareech areas of Chitral. Some seven inches snow was recorded in Bagosht and five inches in Sheikhanda. As a result, water levels in the river rose throughout the district.

Among the deaths in the tribal belt, seven people were from  Orakzai Agency, five from Khyber Agency, two each from Bajaur Agency and Frontier Region Bannu. Finally, one person also died in Mohmand Agency. Other deaths were also reported from Fata.

Stranded

Locals in Karakar area in Buner stated they had been stranded since the road leading to Swat was closed for over 24 hours. Also, Kalam Highway was closed due to landslides after heavy rainfall in the area of Mankyal Kalam. Traffic flow was disrupted on Kalam Road where a large number of people were stranded.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 19^th, 2016.