Residents gather around damaged houses in Ursoon village in Chitral. PHOTO: AFP
Most of the fatalities, 29 to be precise, took place in Lower Chitral where heavy rain battered the remote village of Paitasun Gol, in Ursoon, near the border with Afghanistan. A flash flood triggered by the downpour swept away 19 homes and a mosque where at least 15 worshippers were offering Taraweeh prayers.
Flash floods kill 43 in parts of KP
“The victims included at least five members of one family,” Deputy Commissioner Osama Warriach told The Express Tribune by the telephone after visiting the affected area.
At least 47 homes have been damaged by the rains and flash floods while 26 people are missing who are believed to have been swept away by a strong current into neighbouring Afghanistan.
Officials claim an advisory for torrential rains and flash floods was issued by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA). “We could find only four bodies. The rest are believed to have been swept away into Afghanistan,” Warriach added.
A senior military official said eight soldiers and at least 28 mules have also been swept away when the flash flood hit one of the border check posts.
An AFP reporter in Ursoon said survivors who had lost their homes were waiting for aid under open skies surrounded by mud and debris where their village once stood.
The military, however, said troops were aiding in rescue and relief efforts. According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations, troops provided food, tents and medical aid to affected people in the village.
The military also deployed its Lama helicopters which made five trips from Chitral to Ursoon and evacuated two people who had suffered critical head injuries.
Red alert: CM orders effective relief operations in Chitral
Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak declared red alert for the flood-hit areas in Chitral, announcing compensation for the victims and damage property. Provincial government spokesperson Mushtaq Ghani said that the administration has released Rs15 million for relief activities in rain- and flood-affected areas of Chitral while more money will be released over time.
He added that Rs300,000 will be provided to heirs of those who died, while Rs100,000 for each injured. Those whose houses were destroyed will receive Rs100,000, while Rs50,000 will be given to those whose houses were damaged.
The westerly monsoon wave that entered K-P on Saturday also caused extensive damages in Hazara division, Shangla and Dera Ismail Khan. In DI Khan, four people were injured in rain-related incidents while billboards were felled causing minor damage to property. Electricity supply to several villages was also disrupted. In Shangla district, 24 families were asked to relocate after authorities feared landslides in Alpuri and Karora areas. Meanwhile, roads and connecting bridges have been blocked due to floods.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 4th, 2016.
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