Four killed, 17 injured in rain-related incidents

At least four people were killed and 17 sustained injuries in rain-related incidents across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) on Saturday.

As per the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) heavy downpour was recorded in various parts of the province which inflicted considerable damage. Met office has already forecast more rains in the coming days which could result in flash floods and low laying areas could be submerged as a result.

In Peshawar 12 mm rainfall has been recorded.

An official of PDMA told The Express Tribune that two children were killed in roof collapse incidents in Mardan district of K-P while one death each occurred in Peshawar and South Waziristan tribal district each.

“Four people have been killed in total including two children, one man and one woman,” he said, adding that 17 people were injured including nine children, two women and six men in separate incidents.

In roof collapse three cattle were killed in Mardan and three others in South Waziristan, inflicting huge financial losses on the local farmers.

Across the province six houses have been left damaged in torrential downpour.

In Swabi

A causeway in Turlandi village was washed away by the floodwater on Saturday, causing a lot many difficulties for the general public.

The widening of Turlandi-Kalodher Road and construction a bridge on Turlandi Badrinullah was part of the development project but the contractor only made a causeway and left the project incomplete as a result the floods washed away the incomplete structure, said the sources in Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA), Chota Lahor.

The causeway bridge links various villages and provides an easy route to the students of Government Higher Secondary School Turlandi and farmers to reach their fields.

Local residents said that they had asked the contractor not to demolish the old bridge till construction of new one is completed but he paid no heed as a result they have been left completely cut-off. When contacted Zeenat Bibi advocate, former MPA of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said that the bridge and the road was being constructed under the district development plan at a cost was Rs87 million.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 26^th, 2023.