Landslide kills four of a family in Mansehra

Sources say deceased include a woman and her three children

MANSEHRA/ ABBOTABAD:

Three children and their mother lost their lives when their house collapsed when a massive landslide struck their house in Shahkot on Thursday.

According to the sources, Muhammad Amin’s family was buried under the debris after the house collapsed. The locals took the bodies out of the rubble and took them to the King Abdullah Hospital where doctors declared them dead.

The deceased included a 40-year-old woman Baidar, nine-year-old Abdul Jabbar, five-year-old Abdul Sattar and two-year-old Haleema.

Muhammad Amin hailed from Kohistan and was living in Shahkot with his family due to his work.

Just a day ago, three minors died and seven others of a family were injured when a house collapsed due to torrential rains in the Damgalla Datta.

According to the sources, the house of Sabir Shah collapsed amid heavy rain and all family members were buried alive under the debris. Upon receiving information about the incident, locals rushed to the spot, retrieved the injured after an effort for hours and shifted them to the King Abdullah Teaching Hospital.

The doctors declared six-year-old Saeedullah, eight-year-old Haydaitullah, and 10-year-old Mohammad Firdous dead. Two out of seven injured, including Sabir Shah's wife and a son, were referred to Ayub Medical Complex Hospital Abbottabad (ATH) owing to critical condition.

Rains wreak havoc

The city of Abbottabad, including the main Mansehra Road, Ayub Medical Complex, Bilal Town, Hassan Town faced severe devastation as continuous torrential rains and wreaked havoc across the entire region.

The heavy rain impact extended to surrounding villages, with Ayub Teaching Hospital being hit hard as floodwaters entered its premises. The situation became even more critical for patients on ventilators in the neurosurgery ward who were shifted to the COVID ICU to provide the required medical care without any disruptions.

According to the hospital’s spokesperson, the neurosurgery ward was the most affected area due to the heavy rains, as a precautionary measure, all patients from the ward were shifted to other wards to ensure their safety and well-being.

During the rescue operations, Chairman BOG Mushtaq Jadoon and Hospital Director Dr Ashfaq Ahmed were actively engaged and communicated with relevant administrative officers and provided necessary instructions to handle the crisis effectively.

Deputy Director Dr Junaid Sarwar supervised the rescue operation to ensure a swift response and minimize the damage caused by the floods. He expressed his gratitude to the dedicated staff for their diligent efforts in safely relocating the patients to secure areas.

The impact of the torrential rains extended beyond the hospital premises, as roads in Jhangi, Supply Bazar, Jub Bridge and PMA Road experienced a severe flood, leading to traffic congestion and difficulties for commuters.

The Rescue 1122 disaster team promptly responded to the crisis in Abbottabad and engaged in relief operations to aid the affected residents and mitigate further damage. The torrential rains and flooding led to numerous houses being submerged, posing significant challenges for the rescue teams in accessing affected areas. The rescue teams evacuated and transferred more than 15 persons to secure locations.

With additional input from APP

 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 28^th, 2023.