Swept away: At least six killed in floods across K-P

Water levels in Swat, Kabul, Indus and Panjkora rivers drop substantially.

DERA ISMAIL KHAN/ MINGORA/ PESHAWAR:

At least six people, including four minors, were killed in separate flood-related accidents across the province since late Saturday night.

Two people including a minor were swept away in a wave of floodwater on Sunday in Wana sub-division of South Waziristan, said an official of the political administration.

Malik Walam Khan, a resident of Wacha Dana, had gone to a local bazaar when a stream near his house overflowed, taking him along. Similarly, an eight-year-old girl whose name could not be ascertained had stepped out of her house in Kalotai area when she was swept away by a wave of floodwater. The bodies were later recovered and buried in their hometowns.

Noor Ali Khan, a resident of Kohra Zee Pall village in South Waziristan, said so far no measures have been taken by the political administration to prevent floods in his area. “The tomato fields in our village have been destroyed but they (political administration officials) have not carried out any survey to assess the damage.”



In Rahimabad area of Mingora, Swat, a 15-year-old boy was killed while two others were severely injured when a landslide hit them.

Locals said three children were sleeping in a house owned by Rahmanullah when the roof of the room they were in caved in due to a landslide. As a result, Rahmanullah’s 15-year-old son Asmatullah was killed while his 10-year-old daughter Ruqayya and nephew Nisar were critically injured and shifted to Saidu Teaching Hospital for medical attention.

Elsewhere, two boys drowned in Shomai Khawr in Usherai Darra area of Upper Dir, while a man identified as Abdur Rasheed was killed in Sultan Khel area when the roof of his house collapsed.

Gandikar police SHO Bashir Khan confirmed the incidents, saying eight-year-old Nawabzada and 12-year-old Anwar Zeb were returning from their relative’s house late Saturday night when they drowned in floodwater.

Khan added locals were warned not to cross Shomai Khawr which was overflowing with water, but the two boys tried to take a shorter route to reach their house early. Their bodies were found on Sunday morning, a kilometer away from where they had drowned.

Receding water

Water level on Sunday reduced considerably in River Kabul and Swat, while water discharge in River Indus and Panjkora was also said to be at normal flood level.

In Kabul River in Warsak, the water level dropped to 64,300 cusecs compared to 74,000 cusecs earlier in the morning and 93,000 cusecs on Saturday. It is was flowing at medium flood level till this report was filed.

Similarly, water discharge in Kabul River at Nowshera was recorded at 128,900 cusecs, a significant drop from Saturday’s 155,100 cusecs.

In Swat River, water level dropped to 33,485 cusecs on Sunday afternoon, against the 37,000 cusecs recorded earlier in the morning. Thus, it too, was flowing at medium flood level.

Flow of water in Indus River was recorded at 201,100 cusecs in Attock and 19,635 cusecs in Panjkora.

Talking to The Express Tribune, an official of the irrigation department said water levels in all rivers were normal – except Kabul and Swat rivers, which are flowing at medium flood level despite the water level dropping substantially.

“It all depends on the rainfall. We still have one more day as the meteorological office issued the flood warning till June 17,” the official added.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 17^th, 2013.