Severe weather wreaks havoc in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, leading to multiple fatalities, Pakistan

A lethal combination of high winds, lightning strikes, and heavy rain resulted in over 20 deaths in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan, on June 10 and 11, 2023.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported that the districts of Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Dera Ismail Khan, and Karak were the worst affected by the harsh weather. In the Bannu District alone, the violent weather claimed the lives of at least 15 people and left 100 injured across multiple villages. Approximately 68 homes were either damaged or completely destroyed, and dozens of livestock were lost in the devastation.

The tragedy also struck the Dera Ismail Khan district, where a child lost their life when a house collapsed due to the heavy rainfall, as per the PDMA.

Bannu District documented 27 mm (1.06 inches) of rainfall within 24 hours leading up to June 11, 2023. Concurrently, the Kakul village in the Tehsil and District Abbottabad recorded 38 mm (1.49 inches) during the same duration.

While the northern regions grapple with the aftermath of the severe weather, the southern parts of the country are preparing for Tropical Cyclone “Biparjoy.”

The cyclone is currently situated over the Arabian Sea and is forecasted to make landfall somewhere between Pakistan’s Sindh Province and India’s Gujarat State on June 15, 2023.

References:

¹ Pakistan – Flash Floods and Strong Winds Leave Over 20 Dead in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – FloodList – June 12, 2023

Featured image: Tropical Cyclone “Biparjoy” at 10:30 UTC on June 14, 2023. Credit: EUMETSAT/Metosat-9, RAMMB/CIRA, The Watchers