Seasonal havoc: Three minors dead, seven injured as roofs collapse in severe rain

Many areas of K-P received over 30mm of rain over the last 24 hours.

PESHAWAR/ MALAM JABBA/ GHALLANAI:

Three minors died and four were injured when a roof collapsed due to heavy rain in Safi, Mohmand Agency. Political administration official Jamshed Khan confirmed the children were between the ages of eight and 10.

The roof of Mukamil Khan’s house collapsed early Thursday morning, when his sons and grandchildren were visiting him to celebrate a wedding. Fazal Shah’s son and daughter, and one other boy were killed in the accident, while the parents were also injured and shifted to the hospital. Local journalist, Lal Rehman, said Fazal Shah had migrated to Hyderabad, Sindh with his family in the wake of the recent militancy in the region.

Meanwhile, Shahid, Habib and Akmal were injured when a hotel roof collapsed on Charsadda Road, Peshawar. The injured were shifted to Lady Reading Hospital where their condition is said to be stable.



Rain in Peshawar

The provincial metropolis received around 32mm of rain in the past 24 hours, pushing down the maximum temperature to 15 degrees on Thursday.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Director Meteorological Office Mushtaq Ali Shah said a Western Disturbance system had hit Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). In Peshawar the rainfall would end in the evening, while in Malakand and Hazara divisions it was expected to continue till Friday (today) afternoon. “There is snowfall in the mountain ranges of K-P and the cold will increase from now onwards,” he explained.

The rainwater converted some city roads to murky lagoons, with overflowing sewerage systems causing many problems to the inhabitants of Peshawar.

Tourists flock to the snow

Fresh waves of rain in the lower belt and the first snowfall of winter in some of the northern districts attracted tourists from outside Swat in multitude.

Snow in Utror, Gabral, Usho, Mahodand, Kalam and Malam Jabba pulled down the mercury, spreading a sheet of white across the mountains. The temperature at Kalam has lowered to 5 degrees, while in Malam Jabba it fell below freezing level.

“We were fed up of the scorching heat we face all year round, so we come to enjoy the first snowfall in Swat every year,” said Abdul Kareem, a tourist from Peshawar.

However, locals never welcome the harsh winter season as they expect many problems to accompany the change in weather.

“The temperature is likely to fall further in the coming few days, which will make conditions harsher for us,” Burhan Khan, a local in Malam Jabba told The Express Tribune.

Every year during the winter season, Malam Jabba and other parts of Swat Valley see an influx of tourists. Winter sports are organised by the district administration and Pakistan Army to promote and improve local economy through tourism.

Meanwhile, Nathiagali and the surrounding Galiyat region also witnessed the first snowfall of the year. The mountaintops have received up to six inches of snow – forecasted to reach one foot.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 8^th,2013.