Four killed, five injured as rain ravages K-P

Landslides in South Waziristan leave hundreds of passengers stranded

SHANGLA: Due to heavy rains in different parts of the province, four people were killed and five others sustained injuries in separate incidents. Heavy rains caused landslides and roofs to collapse too.

Malakand division administration officials told The Express Tribune after heavy downpour; at least two girls– a teenager and minor– were killed while a woman was injured in a landslide incident in Shangla district. The incident occurred in Gumbat area of the Puran tehsil, they said.

The injured woman was shifted to a nearby health facility where she was stated to out of danger.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmaker from Shangla, Abdul Munim visited the site and expressed condolences with bereaved family.

A 20-year-old woman was killed and two of her siblings suffered injuries, when the roof of their house caved-in in Gujar Garhi area of Mardan district, the Rescue 1122 officials said.

Rescue officials recovered the injured victims trapped under the debris and shifted them to Mardan district headquarters hospital.

Similarly, a house collapsed in the provincial capital injuring two people– a woman and her teenage son. Another house caved-in in the Khyber district, however, no loss of life was reported.

The recent spell of rain has caused havoc in the province as at least three people were injured on Saturday in separate cases of roof collapse incidents in Peshawar and Khyber district. It has also caused landslides in South Waziristan district which left hundreds stranded in the Neeli Kach and Shinkai areas along the Dera Ismail Khan-Wana road.

Efforts had been underway since late Saturday night to rescue the stranded people, South Waziristan district officials told.

Last month, in Janaury, at least 104 people were killed and 96 injured across the country following heavy rains, snowfall and avalanches, according to a report by the National Disaster Management Authority.

Similarly, according to a report by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority as many as 18 houses were completely destroyed while 15 others were partially damaged during due to heavy rains in January this year.

Weather forecast

The Met Office said on Sunday that mainly dry weather is expected during the next 24 hours in most parts of the province.

It said that weather would remain cold in Chitral, Upper Dir, Upper Swat, Kurram and Malamjaba following heavy rains and snowfall over hills.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 2^nd, 2020.