Natural disaster : Seven dead in Peshawar as rain wreaks havoc
Building walls, roofs collapse. The death toll may rise.
PESHAWAR:
At least seven people were killed and more than 20 injured in Peshawar on Thursday after heavy rain lashed the city.
An official of the rescue service said that heavy downpour left residents trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings in Peshawar and its surrounding areas.
The rescue official told The Express Tribune most of the casualties resulted from collapsing walls and roofs, while uprooted trees also injured some people. He said most routes were closed after rocks and debris covered the roads following the heavy downpour in the province.
The rainfall also caused power outages in various areas, while teams were working to restore the suspended supply.
Meanwhile, expecting an increasing number of casualties the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government declared a state of emergency in all state-run hospitals.
In response to the natural disaster, K-P Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak announced Rs0.3 million in compensation for each of the deceased victims and Rs50,000 for the injured.
Responding to the situation, K-P Governor Sardar Mehtab Abbasi ordered authorities to speed up rescue and relief operation across the city.
Abbasi said that the K-P government would bear all medical expenses of those injured during rain related accidents.
Earlier this month, heavy rain accompanied by wind storms wreaked havoc in Peshawar and killed more than 16 people while more than 80 were injured.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 22nd, 2014.
At least seven people were killed and more than 20 injured in Peshawar on Thursday after heavy rain lashed the city.
An official of the rescue service said that heavy downpour left residents trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings in Peshawar and its surrounding areas.
The rescue official told The Express Tribune most of the casualties resulted from collapsing walls and roofs, while uprooted trees also injured some people. He said most routes were closed after rocks and debris covered the roads following the heavy downpour in the province.
The rainfall also caused power outages in various areas, while teams were working to restore the suspended supply.
Meanwhile, expecting an increasing number of casualties the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government declared a state of emergency in all state-run hospitals.
In response to the natural disaster, K-P Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak announced Rs0.3 million in compensation for each of the deceased victims and Rs50,000 for the injured.
Responding to the situation, K-P Governor Sardar Mehtab Abbasi ordered authorities to speed up rescue and relief operation across the city.
Abbasi said that the K-P government would bear all medical expenses of those injured during rain related accidents.
Earlier this month, heavy rain accompanied by wind storms wreaked havoc in Peshawar and killed more than 16 people while more than 80 were injured.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 22nd, 2014.