MUZAFFARABAD: One person was killed and four members of his family were injured after a landslide struck a house in Mirpur on Sunday.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) Yasir Riaz informed Dawn by telephone that a landslide struck the mud and brick house in Ban Khurman neighbourhood of Mirpur at around 2:30pm. It caused part of the roof to collapse, trapping five people under the debris.

According to the DC, rescue teams managed to pull out the trapped individuals within an hour and rushed them to the Divisional Headquarters Hospital in Mirpur, where the 16-year-old boy, Zile Haider, was pronounced dead on arrival by doctors.

The injured victims included the father of the deceased, Akhtar Iqbal, 38, and his two other sons, Zaryab, 10, and Turab, 9, along with their cousin, Kazim Khan, 12. Fortunately, their injuries were not life-threatening. Mr Iqbal’s wife, who was in an adjacent room at the time of the collapse, remained unharmed.

DC Riaz said the recent rains had rendered the mound of soil above the house unstable, leading to the landslide.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2024