PESHAWAR: Four children and a woman were killed and several people suffered injuries in rain-related incidents in different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Thursday with heavy downpour and snowfall damaging crops in southern districts.

The officials say the death toll from the ongoing rains in the province has reached 46.

Two children were killed in a roof collapse incident in Haji Mora village of DI Khan district, while a woman died after being electrocuted in Kari Khaisoor area.

Two people were recovered from under the debris of the house, whose roof was caved in due to heavy rain. They’re shifted to a hospital.

Death toll reaches 46

The heavy rain also demolished a house wall in Tank area killing two children and injuring another.

The rain triggered flash floods, which submerged residential areas and agricultural lands.

The district administration and Pakistan Army began shifted the residents to safe places.

Deputy commissioner Fahad Wazir said the rain-affected people had been shifted to a temporary shelter, while a control room was collecting information about damages.

In a statement, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority said torrential rains, which began on Wednesday night, damaged houses in Abbottabad, Swabi, Mardan, Dera Ismail Khan, Tank and Orakzai districts.

It forecast more rains during the next 24 hours.

The heavy rain caused widespread damages to properties and crops in Dera Ismail Khan, South Waziristan and Tank districts.

Heavy rains lashed Peshawar on Wednesday night and Thursday.

The Met Office said the provincial capital received 30mm rain. The University Road was deluged as the rainwater spilled down from the BRT viaducts onto it at different locations to the despair and inconvenience of commuters and pedestrians.

The Met Office reported rains and snowfall from different districts of the province.

The lowest temperature was recorded in Kalam area of Swat district, where the mercury dropped to minus two degree Celsius. The high altitude areas of Orakzai, Khyber and Kurram tribal districts also received snowfall.

The torrential rain triggered hill torrents, which submerged residential areas in Tank, Kohi Behara, Kolachi and others areas of Tank and Dera Ismail Khan and damaged crops.

The roof of the building of the Government Centennial High School, DI Khan city, collapsed. However, no damage to public life was reported.

A hailstorm damaged crops in South Waziristan district. Hilly areas of the tribal district received moderate snow.

Landslides led to the stranding of commuters, including tourists, for four to six hours in Patrak area of Upper Dir district after the closure of main Dir-Kumrat Road to traffic.

The engineering unit of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Highway Authority moved heavy machinery to the area and began rescue operation on the directives of deputy commissioner of Upper Dir district Khalid Iqbal Khattak.

Assistant commissioner of Sheringal area Mohammad Saqib Khan supervised the exercise.

He said two excavators were used to reopen the road.

Deputy commissioner Khalid Iqbal Khattak visited the area and said the road had been cleared to all kinds of traffic.

He said motorists, especially tourists, could travel to and from Kumrat without trouble.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2020