PESHAWAR: Six people were killed and 12 suffered injuries in rain-related incidents across the province on Wednesday.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority confirmed casualties and said they’re caused by roof collapse and landslides.

The deaths were reported in Dera Ismail Khan, Karak, Swat, Haripur, Charsadda and Bajaur.

PDMA says landslides, roof collapse cause casualties, asks relevant agencies to remain on alert

The heavy rains also destroyed nine houses and damaged two.

The roof collapse and landslide incidents also occurred in Tank, Mansehra and Upper Dir areas.

An official of the Bajaur administration said Rafiullah, 13, died in Khar town after the roof of his house caved in on Wednesday night.

He said the boy’s father, Lal Bacha, mother and brother Usman Khan suffered critical injuries in the incident.

The residents of Bajaur said the three days long spell of heavy rains coupled with hailstorm damaged standing crops of wheat and vegetables in almost all parts of the district.

They said Mamond, Salarzai, Khar and Nawagai were the worst-affected areas, where rains damaged orchards.

The PDMA directed the deputy commissioners to monitor situation and ask the relevant departments and agencies to remain on alert.

It said its control room operated round the clock to handle emergency.

The PDMA said it had received a report from Buner district’s administration about damages to tobacco and wheat crops due to hailstorm in Shalbandi village.

It added the hailstorm hit several places of Daggar subdivision and damaged crops.

The irrigation department said the flow of water in all rivers of the province remained from normal to medium during the last 24 hours.

In Charsadda, a high-level flood was reported in the Swat and Kabul rivers.

The local deputy commissioner directed the people living in low-lying areas to shift to safer places and asked the relevant agencies to remain alert to prevent damage to public life and property.

An official of the Met Office in Peshawar said the weather was likely to be clear by Thursday noon.

He said the rain’s intensity would drop in southern districts compared to northern districts. The official said Peshawar received 20mm rain, Malam Jabba 57mm, Timergara 24mm, Kalam 32mm, Chitral 12mm and Saidu Sharif 31mm during the last 24 hours.

He said all parts of the province received rains during the current spell.

The residents of Shangla said hailstorm destroyed the orchards of persimmon and other fruits, while a Damorai road caved in.

They also said landslides blocked link roads in the district.

A tehsil councillor from Damorai said landslides blocked roads in Damorai area suspending traffic and causing panic among residents.

He said traffic on the roads in Sewoor, Naredaly, Ghotai and Faizadara areas was also suspended due to landslides, while rainwater inundated the Kana Road.

The councillor said as flashfloods had played havoc with the area several times in the past, the residents were scared to see the district administration yet to take measures to prevent possible damage to public life and property.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2019