Flash floods kill 43 in parts of K-P

Around 30 houses were demolished in the flood caused by heavy rain in the area

PESHAWAR: At least 43 people, including eight security officials, were killed after torrential rain hit parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), including the south west of Chitral district, triggering flash floods in the area late on Saturday night.

As many as 17 people were reportedly missing in Ursoon Village while as many were injured due to flash flooding caused by a cloud burst in the area, DPO Chitral Asif Iqbal told The Express Tribune.

PHOTO: EXPRESS

Around 30 houses were demolished in the rainstorm caused by continuous heavy rainfall in the area near the Pak-Afghan border.

The rains began late Saturday and were concentrated mainly in K-P, which has been badly affected by flooding in recent years that some scientists have linked to climate change.

Viral disease takes its toll on cattle in Chitral

The worst hit district was Chitral, where flood waters swept away a mosque, several houses and army post in the remote village of Ursoon, district mayor Maghfirat Shah told AFP.

PHOTO: EXPRESS

Osama Waraich, another senior local official, added that eight bodies of the missing villagers had been found from the Afghan side and six soldiers were still missing.

A statement issued by the government said 82 houses were affected by the waters, and efforts were underway to provide food and relief items to the villagers.

Army troops have been busy in rescue and relief operation since last night, according to ISPR. “Troops provided food, tents and medical aid to affected people in Ursoon village. Lama helicopter of army made five trips from Chitral to Ursoon and evacuated the injured,” the statement said.

Two Chinese workers, five others killed at Tarbela Dam

Separately, two Chinese engineers were killed and five local workers injured when the roof of a construction site collapsed at Tarbela Dam owing to the rains that began late Saturday, Latifur Rehman, spokesperson for the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said.

Rescue and relief operations were underway, he added.

In April rains and landslides killed 127 people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan region and Pakistani Kashmir.

Poorly built homes across the country, particularly in rural areas, are susceptible to collapse during the annual spring and monsoon rains in July-August, which are often heavy.

Severe weather in recent years has killed hundreds and destroyed huge tracts of prime farmland.

Imran told to take notice of ignorance towards Chitral

During the rainy season last summer, torrential downpours and flooding killed 81 people and affected almost 300,000 people across the country.

The worst flooding in recent times occurred in 2010, which covered almost a fifth of the country's total land mass, killed nearly 2,000 people and displaced 20 million.

Rapid deforestation brought about by decades of illegal logging in the country's north and the growth of farming along the river Indus in the south is believed by experts to have exacerbated the effects of the annual floods.

Politicians express grief, urge authorities to speed up relief work

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's office issued a statement expressing his grief and sorrow.

Pakistan-Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan shared his condolences to the victims’ families and directed the provincial government to take necessary steps to prevent such incidents from causing damages.

K-P Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra has expressed deep grief and sorrow over the losses caused by the flooding and directed the authorities concerned to speed up the rescue and relief efforts in the affected area.

He also directed the administration to take all precautionary measures to save the lives and properties of the people.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari expressed deep grief and anguish over the losses of human lives and properties in rainstorm and urged the authorities and the PPP workers of the area to extend required help the affected people immediately, said a statement.