Heavy rains across Pakistan cause houses to collapse
Peshawar, Pakistan:
At least 37 people have been killed in rain-related incidents across Pakistan in the past 48 hours, authorities said on Sunday.
Rains sweeping across Pakistan have caused houses to collapse and triggered landslides that blocked roads, particularly in the northwest province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), they said.
At least 27 people, most of whom were killed in rain events in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, have been reported dead since Thursday night, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Disaster Management Authority said. Some are children.
In the past 48 hours, heavy rains hit Bajaur, Swat, Lower Dir, Malakand, Khyber, Peshawar, North Waziristan, South Wazir As many as 37 people were injured in 10 districts including Ristan and Lakki Marwat. it says.
Chief Minister KPK Ali Amin Gandapur said that at this critical moment, people affected by the rains will not be alone and their losses will be appropriately compensated.
At least five people were killed in southwestern Balochistan province as floods inundated the coastal town of Gwadar, forcing authorities to use boats to evacuate people.
Heavy rainfall in Gwadar over the past two days has disrupted normal life and left hundreds of people homeless, officials said.
Floodwaters rushed into houses, dozens of human settlements and commercial facilities collapsed, and roads were severely affected.
Casualties and damage were also reported in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the National Disaster Management Authority said, adding that five people were killed in the area.
An NDMA spokesperson said emergency services and heavy machinery were dispatched to the area to clear debris blocking the highway.
Faizullah Faraq, spokesperson for the northern region of Gilgit Baltistan, said the Karakoram Highway connecting Pakistan and China remained blocked in some places due to landslides caused by rain and snow.
He said the snowfall was unusually heavy for this time of year.
Authorities advised tourists not to travel to the scenic northern region due to the weather. Several tourists were stranded there last week due to heavy rains.
Pakistan’s winter rains have been delayed this year, starting in February instead of November. Monsoon and winter rains take their toll on Pakistan every year.
In 2022, unprecedented rains and floods devastated many areas of Pakistan, killing more than 1,800 people, affecting approximately 33 million people, and displacing nearly 8 million people. The disaster also caused billions of dollars in damage.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
