Monsoon Rains and Storms Kill 10, Injure 42 Across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab
A 72-hour period of monsoon rains and severe thunderstorms from June 11-13 has resulted in at least 10 fatalities and 42 injuries across Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces. Incidents included roof collapses, electrocutions, and flash floods, leading to widespread damage and ongoing rescue operations. Authorities have urged caution for residents and tourists near waterways as rivers begin to recede.
A 72-hour spell of monsoon rains and severe thunderstorms, which occurred from June 11 to 13, has claimed at least 10 lives and injured 42 others across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab provinces in Pakistan. The severe weather, forecasted by the Met Office for the country's upper regions, caused numerous incidents including roof collapses, electrocutions, and flash floods.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the death toll reached eight, with 33 people reported injured. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority initially reported seven fatalities and 33 injuries on Saturday following roof and wall collapses in Bannu, Shangla, and Mansehra districts. Among the deceased were four men, two children, and one woman, while the injured included seven men, 12 women, and 14 children. By Sunday, the provincial toll increased after a 17-year-old was electrocuted in the Battal area and a girl's body was recovered after being swept away by flash floods in Davli.
District emergency officer for Rescue 1122, Ibrar Ali, stated that the rains, thunderstorms, and strong winds caused widespread damage in Siren Valley. Emergency teams launched operations on Saturday evening, continuing rescue and rehabilitation efforts through the weekend, including clearing landslide-blocked roads in Siren Valley, Garhi Habibullah, Balakot, and Kaghan Valley. Ali also cautioned tourists and residents to avoid swollen waterways like the Siren and Kunhar rivers, despite their receding levels, due to the risk of sudden water level increases.
Meanwhile, Punjab reported two deaths and nine injuries. In Haveli Lakkha, a roof collapse during a thunderstorm on Saturday night killed a woman, Shamim Bibi, and injured two minors, one of whom later died. On the Okara-Dipalpur road, a speeding bus overturned in wet conditions, injuring seven commuters. Additionally, structural failures in Sargodha injured nine people, including a 21-year-old man seriously hurt by a collapsing iron roof in Faisal Town. In Bhalwal town’s Chak 9, an eight-member family, comprising a husband, wife, and six children aged 1 to 12, were trapped under debris after their roof caved in. Rescue 1122 provided medical assistance and evacuated the victims to local hospitals.
(Source: Dawn Pakistan)
