Floods ravage K-P: 15 lives lost

Four days of rain, landslides wreak havoc in province

PESHAWAR:

Flash floods, landslides, and roof collapses have caused a devastating toll in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), resulting in at least 15 fatalities and 14 injuries over the past four days.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) reported extensive damage, with 12 houses completely destroyed and 83 others partially damaged across the region. The worst-hit districts include Mansehra, Upper and Lower Chitral, Upper Dir, Swat, and Shangla.

The relentless rains and torrential downpours have wreaked havoc on the hilly terrain, triggering landslides and swelling rivers, leading to flash floods in vulnerable areas.

On Monday, two people lost their lives in a landslide incident in Swat. The previous day, six more fatalities were reported due to rain-related incidents in two districts of K-P.

The PDMA disclosed that four individuals tragically lost their lives when a roof collapsed in Mansehra, while two others were buried under a landslide in Bahrain Tehsil, Swat district.

In another heartbreaking incident, five people were rescued from beneath the debris of a landslide that had struck a house in the Madain area. Regrettably, two of the rescued victims succumbed to their injuries while receiving treatment at a local hospital.

The disaster’s severity became evident when the death toll rose from four on Saturday to 10 within 48 hours on Sunday, and eventually reaching 15 by Tuesday. The floods and heavy rains also caused significant damage to infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and homes.

Among the affected structures, the main bridge connecting Chitral to Boni, an under-construction bridge in Shamsi Khan area, and the Shringal-Kumrat road in Kalkot, Chitral, suffered destruction. In Shangla, the Alpuri-Bisham main highway, along with roads to Spina Kada and Ranyal, were impacted by flooding and landslides. The Karakorum Highway, a vital artery connecting the region, was also affected.

In response to the crisis, a massive relief operation was launched in the Chitral region, prioritizing the relocation of vulnerable individuals to safer areas. Additionally, affected families were being provided with dried ration supplies to meet their immediate needs.

The provincial government swiftly allocated Rs60 million in aid to the rain-hit districts. Of this, Rs20 million each was allocated for Chitral Upper and Chitral Lower, and Rs10 million each for Bannu and Shangla districts. Recognizing the urgency, personnel from the Army and Frontier Corps (FC) North were mobilized in Chitral, Swat, and Dir districts to provide essential support for rescue and relief operations.

Both the armed forces and civil administration worked tirelessly to restore traffic through alternative routes, deploying heavy machinery to clear the affected roads and bridges.

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