PESHAWAR: Six persons were killed and several others injured in multiple rain and flash flood-related incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Saturday.
In Landikotal tehsil of Khyber district, torrential rains triggered flash floods in seasonal streams, sweeping away vehicles and damaging homes in different localities. Several cars were washed away after being caught in strong currents of floodwater.
A car was swept away by sweeping floods on the Pak-Afghan highway. Three persons on board went missing. The victims were reported to be residents of Nekikhel and Zakhakhel areas of Khyber district.
The roof of a house collapsed during the day-long rain in Bazaar Zakhakhel area of Landikotal, resulting in a boy losing his life while others present inside were also injured. Livestock losses were also reported, with several animals killed after a house roof collapsed in Bazaar Zakhakhel area of Landikotal. Residents in Kam Shalman, Loey Shalman, Landikotal and Bazaar Zakhakhel also confirmed that their standing crops were washed away in flash floods.
In Bannu, two children were killed and a woman sustained injuries when the roof of a house collapsed near Lari Bridge on Miryan Road. In Lakki Marawat, the two-day continuous rain submerged the low-lying areas, prompting the district administration to mobilise rescue emergency service and other relevant agencies.
In the Ghundi Mirankhel area of Karak, two persons, including a 45-year-old woman and a five-year old boy identified as Sahaidar, were injured when the roof of their house collapsed due to torrential rains.
Torrential rains and flash flooding also disrupted traffic between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab via the Lakki-Darra Tang Section of Bannu-Mianwali road.
In Kurram district, torrential rains triggered flooding in the Kurram River, washing away a key road near the Samir Basto Bridge and leaving thousands of residents stranded in Upper and Lower parts of the district.
With the main highway already closed for the past two years, residents had been relying on alternative routes. However, those routes have now also been blocked due to flooding in seasonal streams, cutting off access entirely and leaving people confined to their areas.
In Swat, intermittent rainfall continued in Swat Valley, making the weather cold yet pleasant.
Meanwhile, snowfall has been recorded in upper and tourist resorts, including Kalam, Mahodhand and Gabin Jabba as well as surrounding mountainous areas.
In Miranshah, heavy rains over the past three days have disrupted daily life across North Waziristan, causing rivers to overflow and submerging low-lying areas. The swelling of the Tochi and Kurram rivers has washed away hundreds of acres of crops, resulting in significant financial losses for local farmers.
