Killer rains claim five lives, injure 20 in a day in K-P

Villagers, tourists asked to stay away from rivers in Nowshera and Charsadda

MANSHERA:

At least five people died and 20 injured in the last 24 hours as recent monsoon rains in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) continued to wreak havoc in the province, with villagers and tourists having to be evacuated.

According to the Provincial Diaster Management Authority (PDMA), the heavy monsoon showers have so far partially damaged 46 houses, whereas four houses have been completely destroyed.

The PDMA maintained that rivers and streams in the upper districts of the province are flooded due to the heavy rain. The water flow in Swat river near Chakdara was recorded at 55,085 cusecs, 95,300 cusecs near Manda, 33,000 cusecs at Khwazakhela and at 24,263 cusecs in Panchkhora river.

The province's disaster management authority is in contact with the district administration and people living near rivers in Nowshera and Charsadda have been alerted.Tourists have also been asked to stay away from the rivers.

The flow of water in the Kabul river at Nowshera, Jehangira and Khairabad is continuously increasing. Nowshera Deputy Commissioner Mir Raza has issued an alert in the area and ordered people living on the banks of Rive Kabul to be cautious.

At least three people have drowned in the Swat river floods. One body has been recovered, while a search for the other two is underway. A police officer is said to among the drowned.

In another tragic accident, four people died after the roof of a house in Ogi Hussain Banda area of district Mansehra collapsed due to heavy rain. The deceased have been identified as Fazal Elahi, Mohammad Shabbir, Noor Islam and Bint-e-Bibi. One critically injured woman has been shifted to King Abdullah Hospital.

Three others drowned in different incidents of heavy rain in Balakot.