PESHAWAR: With nea­rly two dozen lives lost in a single day, death toll from the inclement wea­ther in Khyber Pakhtun­khwa climbed to 59 on Saturday, according to the provincial disaster management authority (PDMA).

Officials and rescue sources said life came to a standstill in some areas as the current spell of rains continued to wreak havoc on the fourth consecutive day, claiming at least 21 lives and leaving many houses damaged.

Most of the deaths were caused by roofs collapse, road accidents and drowning. Among the victims were mostly women and children.

The rains also resulted in power breakdown in some localities. Besides, tra­ffic on various roads re­mained suspended due to windstorm coupled with heavy showers during the day.

Data collected from rescue workers and officials indicated that four people were killed in Bajaur, three in Mardan, two each in Malakand, Khyber, Swat, Lakki Marwat, Upper Dir and Mohmand, and one each in Lower Dir and Bannu.

In Bajaur, an elderly couple was among the four people killed in rain-related incidents reported from the Lowisam locality of Khar tehsil and Malasaid area of Salarzai tehsil, according to Rescue 1122.

Similarly, three persons were killed and three others suffered injuries when the roof of their house collapsed in Camp Korona area of Mardan.

A house collapsed in the Sharifabad area of Dargai, in Malakand district, leaving two people dead and another injured. Also, two persons died when the roof of their house collapsed due to heavy rain in Kabal tehsil of Swat. On the other hand, two children died after being caught in a storm while travelling to Swat from the Nehagdarra area of Upper Dir.

In Lower Dir, a resident of Amlok Dara village, Syed Rashad aka Fauji, drowned in the Shamshi Khan Talash stream while attempting to cross it, residents and police said.

Two children drowned in a canal in Haramatala area of Lakki Marwat district on Saturday.

In Mohmand district, two girls were killed and nine others injured in separate rain-related incidents on Saturday. Tehsildar Halimzai Muhammad Siyar Khan said a house collapsed in Sagi Payan area of Safi tehsil due to heavy rain, killing Habiba. Her father Mumtaz Khan, mother, brother Hamza and five other people suffered injuries in the tragedy.

Lower Mohmand assistant commissioner Sadam Hussain Memon said a house collapsed in Pandilai, resulting in the death of a 13-year-old Zuhra, daughter of Mohammad Deen.

Similarly, another woman died in the Hassan Khel area of Bannu district when the roof of her house collapsed.

In Khyber district, separate roof collapse incidents claimed two lives.

Besides rendering many families without shelter, the current spell of rains, which continued to lash intermittently KP areas since Thursday, also caused suspension of traffic on Karora-Chakesar road in Opal area and Bisham-Khormang road, besides causing power breakdowns.

Ibrahim Shinwari in Khyber, Fazal Khaliq in Swat, Fauzee Khan Mohmand in Mohmand, Anwarullah Khan in Bajaur, Gohar Ali Gohar in Malakand, Jamal Hoti in Mardan, Ghulam Mursalin Marwat in Lakki Marwat and Haleem Asad in Lower Dir contributed this report

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2024