Slippery when wet: Two more perish as rain wreaks havoc in K-P

G-B braces itself for weather system as province suffers losses

SWABI/MINGORA/GILGIT: The rain brought more death and destruction in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa as two children died in Swabi district early on Wednesday morning.

According to locals, the house of Faiz Habib collapsed due to rain and thunderstorms in Saproona area of Swabi, killing his three-year-old daughter named Sunila.

Meanwhile, in Topi Mohalla of Shagai, a five-year-old was swept away by a canal which saw an increased water level due to the rain. His body was later found by local divers.

A resident of Colonel Sher Kalay said four of his bulls were electrocuted after a pole collapsed due to the heavy rain.

A large number of houses were inundated by rainwater in Thand Koi, Gadoon Topi, Tordher, Chota Lahor and Razar areas. The rain also disrupted the flow of traffic and caused power failures

Destruction in Swat

The recent spell of torrential rain in Swat district left destruction in its wake in parts of main Mingora city. The overnight downpour, which started late on Tuesday, lashed parts of the city itself and the adjoining areas. It also flooded lower parts of the land.

Floodwater inundated houses, uprooted electricity poles, destroyed standing crops and stood on roads. The muddy streets caused massive inconveniences for pedestrians in the city.

Malook Abad and Rang Mohallah were the most affected union councils as rainwater demolished a house and washed away several paved streets. A house in Malook Abad union council collapsed on Tuesday night due to the heavy rain, resulting in injuries to a woman identified as Rawasya Bibi.

Meanwhile, floodwater entered several houses and shops in Rang Muhallah UC and inflicted financial losses to the inhabitants. However, no casualties were reported in the area. Local government representatives and natives started their own rescue efforts. Many were seen clearing the debris of collapsed houses and remains of streets. ” We have informed the municipal committee of Mingora about the destruction and asked it to provide assistance to the affected people,” said Malook Abad UC Tehsil Councillor Yousuf Ali.

G-B braces itself

The Pakistan Meteorological Department has predicted rainfall in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), warning the weather system may cause glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF) in the disaster prone Bagrote valley and its surroundings.

“Local communities are advised to remain alert and authorities have been told to take precautionary measures,” read a GLOF alert issued on Tuesday. According to it, a rain-bearing weather system is likely to persist in G-B and Chitral from July 14 to 19.

Bagrote valley, about 40 kilometers in the northeast of Gilgit, is inhabited by nearly 16,000 people. Surrounded by 13 glaciers, the valley has been at the mercy of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF), a natural phenomenon that has triggered substantial losses in various countries over the years.

Just last year, four GLOFs released flashfloods that swept away eight bridges, a hydel power project, dozens of water channels, standing crops and roads in the valley. The catastrophe affected the valley’s farming and fruit, which otherwise make up to 15 percent of the local yield.

This weather forecast comes at a time G-B is flooded by tourists. If the rains come, chances are roads will be blocked, leaving many stranded in the region. A couple of months ago, G-B remained cut off from the rest of the country for more than two weeks as landslides blocked the Karakoram Highway at more than 200 places from G-B to the Besham area.

Subsequently, the area witnessed an acute shortage of food and petroleum products in the following days.

According to experts, at least 36 glacial lakes in various valleys of G-B are dangerous, while seven pose an extreme threat to the population.

“These lakes run the risk of outbursts and if it happens, loss of life and severe damage may occur,” senior  Met department official Dr Rasool told the media recently.

More bodies recovered in Chitral

From the Ursoon village of Chitral, where flash floods wreaked much havoc last week, the body of 16-year-old Mohsina and six-year-old Imran were recovered. Of the 29 people feared dead, 22 of the bodies have been recovered while the search for the remaining seven continues.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 14^th, 2016.