PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur has announced compensation for those, who lost their lives during the recent spell of rain and snowfall in the province.

The rain and snowfall continued to play havoc with lives and properties in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on third day as seven more people were killed in roof collapse incidents in Khyber and Swabi districts.

According to a statement, chief minister has directed secretary of relief and rehabilitation to collect details of losses so that the affected families can be compensated.

Mr Gandapur said that legal heirs of those, who lost their lives in rain-related incidents, would be given Rs1 million each, Rs0.3million would be given to seriously injured and Rs50,000 would be provided to minor injured persons.

According to official data death toll reaches 27 in the province

He said that affected people would be also compensated for the loss of properties. He also directed commissioners to provide relief to affected families and timely medical treatment to injured persons.

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The chief minister directed authorities concerned to take necessary measures on priority basis for reopening and rehabilitation of link roads.

According to Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), death toll from the torrential rain and snowfall reached 27 including 18 children in different parts of the province. At least 38 persons including 20 children were wounded in different districts.

Rain and snowfall in most parts of the province continued on the third consecutive day due to which dozens of houses were damaged. A large number of cattle also perished in rain-related incidents.

According to Met Office, 89 mm rain was recorded in Lower Dir during the last 24 hours, 54mm in Dir Upper, 38mm in Chitral and 20mm in Swat.

Officials of Khyber district administration said that two women and four children were killed when roof of a house collapsed in Jarrobi town in Bazaar-Zakhakhel area of Landi Kotal on Sunday morning.

A minor girl also sustained injuries in Merikhel locality of Akkakhel in Bara due to collapse of a house due to rain. A total of 12 houses were damaged either fully or partially due to rain in different parts of Bara, Jamrud and Landi Kotal.

Officials said that relief work was initiated in the affected localities. They said that necessary safety equipment, tents and food items were distributed among the affected families.

In Swat, the death toll rose to seven as three more bodies were recovered from the wreckage of a house in Chatekal area of Matta tehsil on Sunday. The house of Double Khan was hit by a landslide on Saturday morning, burying 10 members of his family under debris.

Initially, three persons including two children were rescued and hospitalised. However, adverse weather conditions hindered the operation. On Sunday morning, the bodies of Khalida, Asilzada’s wife, their two-year-old daughter Salma and 65-year-old Double Khan were retrieved.

Gloom and grief blanked the area when seven members of the family were laid to rest.

The district administration deployed heavy machinery to clear snow from roads in Kalam and Malam Jabba to facilitate traffic flow and rescue stranded tourists.

In Mardan, a woman was killed when roof of a house collapsed in Minjawooru Stop near Nista road. The deceased was identified as wife of Shadi.

In Bajaur a man was killed and two women were wounded after a house collapsed on Sunday. The deceased was identified as Mahmood Jan, a resident of Shinkoot area. The death toll during the last four days reached six in the district. About 10 people have been wounded in rain-related incidents in the district during the last four days.

In Swabi, a child was killed and his mother received injuries when roof their house collapsed in Gaji village of Gadoon Amazi on Sunday.

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In Chitral snowfall and sleet continued for the second day on Sunday. Different parts of the district received 28 inches snow.

According special situation report, one person was killed and five sustained injuries in incidents of roof collapse in Drosh and Singur. It says that all the 36 village roads including the main artery of Chitral-Lowari road are closed due to snow.

Keeping in view the intense weather, schools have been closed till March 9.

In Lower Dir, washrooms and boundary wall of a primary school in Adenzai tehsil collapsed on Sunday.

Hilly areas in Lower and Upper Dir districts including Laram Top, Maidan Kalpani, Shahi, Binshahi, Luqman Banda, Lajbok Dara, Talash, Lowari Top, Barawal, Doog Dara, Kair Dara, Dir Kohistan, Kumrat, Sheringal and Karo Dara received snow.

The roof of a house owned by Hammad Mahmood caved in in Khall Bar Kallay. The inmates remained unhurt. Similarly a room, a kitchen and verandah of a house owned by Mohammad Ali Jan collapsed due to torrential rain in the limits of Munda police station on Sunday.

The boundary wall of Gul Jamal’s hujra collapsed in Banda Talash. Similarly, three rooms of a house caved in when a protection wall fell upon the house of Qasim in Rahimabad Samarbagh.

The link road connecting Soghalay and Dherai in Talash remained blocked as a 200-meter-long protection wall collapsed due to continuous rain. Also, a house collapsed in Bagh Dushkhel area of Talash.

In Shangla, Karakoram Highway and other major roads remained blocked as rain continued to lash the district on the third consecutive day while hilly areas received snow.

According to officials, a pickup vehicle was washed away by floodwater in Chakisar tehsil. They said that flood also damaged roads.

In Haripur, two persons of a family were injured and their house was damaged in a village of Khanpur tehsil.

Published in Dawn, March 4th, 2024