PESHAWAR: At least 17 people were killed and 38 others injured in rain-related incidents across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the ongoing spell of rains.

Figures compiled by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) showed that at least 57 houses were damaged partially and two extensively in the ongoing spell of rains that started on Wednesday.

The PDMA said that Mardan district recorded the highest number of six deaths, including four children.

Four people were killed in rain-related incidents in Swat district, two each in Peshawar, Nowshera and Charsadda and one in Buner.

In addition, nine people were injured in Mardan, seven each in Peshawar, Charsadda and Nowshera, four in Swat and one each in Bajaur, Malakand, Upper Dir and Buner districts.

On Saturday, two children were killed and nine others injured when roof of a house collapsed in Khat Kallay area of Nowshera district due to heavy rain. The police identified the children as Farhad, 10, and Reshma, 6, while nine others, including three women, were injured. The injured were taken to Qazi Medical Complex and district headquarters hospital, Nowshera.

PDMA figures show 59 houses also damaged

In Buner, a four-year-old child was killed in a roof collapse incident in Chagorzai area on Saturday, while another one was injured in Odigram area in a landslide.

A woman and her two minor children were injured in a roof collapse incident in Kandghar grid station colony located in Takhtbai tehsil. Rescue 1122 personnel retrieved them from the debris of building.

Shangla district received heavy snowfall for the first time in March, which led to blockade of roads due to landslides in various areas.

Heavy snowfall accompanied by rainfall had started in all parts of Shangla district on Wednesday and continued for the fourth consecutive day on Saturday.

Heavy snowfall was also received at Shangla Top, Yakhtangay, district headquarters Alpuri, Karora, Shahpur, Damorai, Ajmeer, Chakesar, Bely Baba and other areas. The snowfall has also disturbed routine life in the district, forcing the residents of upper parts to remain indoors because of low temperature and blocked roads.

In Abbottabad, Galiyat-Abbottabad-Murree road was closed to traffic from Bagnother onward due to heavy snowfall.

The Galiyat Development Authority and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Highway Authority have made arrangements to remove snow from the roads, said the GDA spokesman.

So far , at least two feet of snow has been reported in Nathiagali, Donga Gali, Changla Gali and other hilly areas of Galiyat.

For Sunday (today), the met department predicted widespread rain-wind/thunderstorm in Peshawar, Khyber, Charsadda, Mohmand, Nowshera, Swabi Mardan, Haripur, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Battagram, Torghar, Kohistan, Shangla, Swat, Bunner, Malakand, Upper and Lower Dir, Bajaur, Chitral, Kohat, Hangu, Orakzai and Kurram districts besides at scattered places in Karak, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, North Waziristan, DI Khan, Tank and South Waziristan.

It said that during past 24 hours Malam Jabba received 81mm rain, Kakul 30mm, Besham and Bunner 27mm, Saidu Sharif, Balakot and Kalam 26mm, Swabi 22mm, Pattan 19mm, Dir 16mm, Dargai 13mm, Takht Bhai 12mm, Timergara 11mm, Charsadda 10mm, Parachinar 08mm, Peshawar 7mm, Shabqadar 6mm and Bannu 1mm.

Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2020