321 dead, 28 injured in KP due to rains and floods in 48 hours

PESHAWAR: The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has released details of casualties and damages caused by torrential rains and flooding in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the past 48 hours.

According to an NDMA spokesperson, as many as 321 people lost their lives, while 28 others sustained injuries in incidents of flooding, landslides and lightning strikes across the province.

According to statistics, 23 people were injured in various accidents, including 17 men, 4 women and two children.

According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, a total of 74 houses were damaged due to rain and floods, 63 homes were partially damaged while 11 houses were completely destroyed.

The PDMA says that accidents happened in Swat, Buner, Bajaur, Torghor, Mansehra, Shangla and Batagram.

The KP government has relased total of Rs500 million for relief and rehabilitation efforts in the affected districts. Of this amount, Rs150 million has been allocated for Buner, Rs100 million each for Bajaur, Battagram and Mansehra, while Swat has been allocated Rs50 million.

Devastating monsoon rains, cloudbursts, landslides and flash floods have wreaked havoc across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir, leaving widespread destruction in their wake.

According to officials, more than 250 people have so far lost their lives in rain-related incidents. Buner district has been the worst hit, where the natural calamity claimed 213 lives, while many others remain missing.

In Mansehra, at least 20 people were killed in incidents of flooding and landslides, while Bajaur also witnessed tragedy as a cloudburst triggered flash floods and landslides, leaving 21 dead.

After the cloud burst, floods took several villages, residents fell, animals and vehicles were also swept away in the flood rails, while an emergency was imposed in Buner.

In Neelum Valley, six suspension bridges built over the river were washed away, while 11 people lost their lives in various incidents. In Muzaffarabad, a cloudburst left eight people dead, including six members of the same family.

Meanwhile in Gilgit-Baltistan, flash floods caused large-scale damage in several areas. In Skardu, at least five bridges collapsed into the river, while in Chilas, several people were swept away in the Ooshar stream.

Earlier, a Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government helicopter engaged in flood relief operations crashed on Friday in Bajaur, killing all five people on board, including two pilots.

According to initial reports, the helicopter was returning from relief operations when it went down in Mohmand district. Officials said the crash was likely caused by poor weather conditions and dense fog, though there was no rain at the site of the incident.