PESHAWAR: Torrential rains lashed several cities in the country, leaving at least 19 people dead and 18 injured, authorities said on Thursday. Most deaths took place because the roofs of houses could not withstand the torrential rains and landslides. The deaths were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

In two incidents in Khyber tribal district, two Frontier Corps personnel and two minor girls were killed. Two other women were injured. Security officials in Bara confirmed the death of the FC men, affiliated with Mehsud Scouts, Muhammad Kamran and Sher Zaman when the roof of their house collapsed in the Ghaibi Neeka area of Tirah valley. As for the two minor girls, Afsa and Kalsum, they were buried alive when the roof of their house in Bacha Maina locality at Torkham caved in due to excessive rain on Tuesday and Wednesday. Their deaths occurred on Wednesday evening. Two women were also injured in the incident and were later shifted to a local hospital.

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Four people including two brothers were killed and two others in Upper Dir district on Thursday when their houses caved in due to landslides. The first incident took place in Karo Dara, a far flung remote area of Wari tehsil, when a boulder fell down on a house killing two little brothers on the spot and injuring their parents. The injured parents were taken to Wari hospital. In Gandigar, too, a boulder hit a house and a portion of it caved in due to which one person identified as Ibrahim was killed. Similarly, a woman was killed when her house collapsed due to landslide in Ali Gasar area of the Usheri Dara in Upper Dir.

KHAR: Three people were killed when a roof of their house caved in Barang tehsil of Bajaur tribal district on Thursday. Residents and officials said that the deaths took place in Ainzari village of Asil Targaoo locality at about 9am. Mohammad Ali’s family had gathered in a room for breakfast when the roof of his house collapsed due to rain. A woman and a five-year-old child were among the dead.

CHITRAL: Two persons died and seven injured when a jeep carrying nine persons was going from village Washich to Rech fell into a river on Thursday morning. An official of Chitral police said the vehicle slipped due to heavy snow. The dead were school teachers Aziz Rahim and Jamilur Rahman of Washich. The injured including three women and driver Shahzad Ali were admitted to the Rural Health Centre Shagram where they are said to be in stable condition.

SHANGLA: A man was killed, 10 houses and a shop collapsed due to heavy rainfall and landslides in the upper parts of Shangla district. Deputy Commissioner Shangla Fayaz Sherpao said that eight houses and a shop had completely collapsed and three houses were partially damaged. Provincial Disaster Management Authority said Shamshad, resident of Mian Kaly Pir Abad, died after he was hit by a landslide avalanche.

GUJRANWALA: One person was killed and four were injured in rain-related incidents on Thursday. Schoolteacher Shakeela was killed and head teacher Gulzar was injured when the roof of their school’s office collapsed due to heavy rain in Aroop village of Gujranwala.

In Kasur, three municipal committee workers Asim Mash, Shahid Masih and Rizwan Ali were injured when the roof of the Pattoki MC chief executive officer office caved in.

LASBELA: Three people were killed in Lasbela district as they were swept away in floodwaters overnight, officials said. Four other people were also swept away but they were still missing till the filing of this report. Army and local administration launched a rescue operation in flood-hit areas of Lasbela, Awaran and parts of Makran after worsening situation in the three districts. Official sources said that around 500 families were affected due to the floods.

MUZAFFARABAD: An avalanche struck three siblings in a high altitude village of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Thursday morning, leaving one dead and two others injured, officials said. The victims, children of Gulzar Ahmed Lone, were on their way to their school in village Reshian in the morning when a mass of snow engulfed them as they were passing through a water channel. Locals and army personnel rushed to the site to rescue them. They recovered all three but nine-year old Halima, a student of class three, succumbed after few moments. Khadija, 16, a student of class ten, was injured and admitted to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital in Hattian Bala. Abid, the eldest, however, was unhurt. The village is located approximately 70kms southeast of Leepa Valley at an altitude of 1,674 metres (5,492 ft).

Published in Dawn, February 22nd, 2019