KOHAT: Funeral prayers were offered on Tuesday for 10 people who lost their lives when the roof of a house collapsed during a storm and rain in Malgin village, on the outskirts of Kohat, the previous night.
The deceased included seven women and three children. Funeral prayers were held in Malgin village and various areas of Lachi tehsil, where a large number of local residents and community elders attended.
According to officials, 12 people, mostly women and children, were injured in the incident and shifted to hospitals in Kohat and Peshawar for treatment.The tragedy occurred at the residence of Gul Muhammad, son of Qabil Khan, where relatives and neighbours had gathered to celebrate the birth of a baby.
Women from the neighbourhood had gathered in a room to congratulate the family when a powerful windstorm, accompanied by heavy rain, caused the roof to collapse, trapping them beneath the debris.The newborn, whose birth was being celebrated, was among those killed in the incident.
Rescue teams, assisted by local residents, launched an operation and pulled the victims from the rubble before transporting them to nearby hospitals.Among those attending the funerals were Member of the National Assembly Shahryar Khan Afridi, Chairman of the District Development Advisory Committee and Member of the Provincial Assembly Daud Shah Afridi, Kohat Commissioner Syed Motasim Billah Shah, and Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Nawaz Wazir, who represented Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi and Chief Secretary Syed Shahab Ali Shah.
The officials also visited the bereaved families to offer condolences, prayed for the departed souls, and wished the injured a speedy recovery.Speaking on the occasion, Shahryar Afridi and Daud Shah Afridi said that while natural disasters are beyond human control, it is the government’s responsibility to provide timely assistance to those affected.
They assured the families that financial compensation and other relief measures would be provided transparently in accordance with the provincial government’s policy.Commissioner Syed Motasim Billah Shah and Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Nawaz Wazir said relief and rehabilitation activities were underway and that all relevant departments had been directed to expedite emergency response efforts.
They instructed the Assistant Commissioner of Lachi to complete a comprehensive and transparent assessment of the human and material losses so that compensation and relief could be provided to the affected families without delay.
