Khyber Pakhtunkhwa hit by deadly flash floods and landslides, Pakistan

Heavy rains hit the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan on April 15, 2020, resulting in flash floods and landslides in which at least 8 people lost their lives. 

The fatalities were reported in provincial Peshawar Lower Dir and the Mohmad tribal district. In Peshawar, four members of the same family died when a roof of their house collapsed. According to a rescue spokesperson, the victims were identified as a woman and her three children. The bodies were eventually retrieved from the rubbles.

In Lower Dir, a man, his wife, and their two-year-old daughter lost their lives in a similar incident when the roof of their house caved in due to wooden beam breakage from accumulated mud. The family was sleeping when the accident happened, police said.

Neighbors rushed to the scene and tried to retrieve the bodies from the debris. Locals then demanded the government and district administration to compensate for the family.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, the district authorities placed emergency warnings after the water level in Pajkora River rose to a dangerous height following days of torrential rain.

A landslide blocked several connecting roads in Shahi, Binsahi, and Upper Maidan. Nomad residents on the riverbank near Timergara bypass road bore the brunt of the tragedy as their tents were washed away into the river.

Volunteers from the Al-Khidmat Foundation have provided necessities and temporary shelters to the affected families. Floodwater ripped through agricultural fields in Rabat, Balambat, Saddo, Mian Banda, and Odigram, ravaging standing crops. Local residents also demanded compensation not only for the nomads but also for the farmers.

In Mohmand tribal district, a woman died when a portion of a wall in her home collapsed. According to residents, the victim was doing domestic work near the boundary wall when it crashed on her, killing her on the spot. Police and locals recovered the woman's body eventually. 

In Chitral, around 92 commuters were stuck on the road when a hillock slipped and cut off road access in the Mroi village. One of the trapped individuals said passengers suffered, including women and children. 

The district authorities have since rescued the commuters, bringing them back to the city where they were offered lodging and food. The commuters hit the road again as soon as it was cleared.

In Charsadda, floods affected agricultural lads in various areas on the banks of the river. The deputy commissioner ordered officials to take precautionary measures in the area.

According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), a westerly wave is expected to affect the upper and central parts of the country on Friday, April 17, and may persist in the upper region until Monday next week, April 20.

Rains, winds, and thunderstorms with a few hailstorms are expected in many provinces, including Khyber Pakhtunkhawa, into the weekend.

Featured image credit: Crushing Planet/YouTube