Khyber Pakhtunkhwa:
At least 33 people died and 25 were missing after heavy rains and a cloud sparked floods and landslides in several districts in northwest Pakistan, officials announced on Friday.
A disaster struck several districts in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), leaving behind a trace of destruction while the rescue teams fought against difficult terrain and weather conditions.
In the regions of Salarzai and Jabrayi of the Bajaur district, flooding water torrents swept the villages, destroying the houses and cutting the access roads. KP Rescue 1122 reported that 16 people had lost their lives, three were injured and seven missing.
Read: Rain fury devast KP
Local residents helped the rescue teams recover the deceased and injured debris and water. Research operations are underway with medical teams, diving and other teams deployed on the site.
The medical teams provided first aid on site before transferring the wounded to the nearby hospitals, while divers and specialized rescue units were deployed to help research operations.
Officials confirmed that rescue work was carried out continuously despite the challenges posed by landslides and damaged infrastructure.
Find out more: At least 10 dead while sudden floods are wreaking havoc in Ajk, GB
In the Sori Paw region of the Dir Lower district, five members of a household died when their house collapsed in heavy rain. Four others were injured in the incident.
Meanwhile, the Battagram district was among the hardest, with 10 people killed and 18 people who have disappeared after flood waters won several houses.
In the Basiyaan region of Manshra, two people died and another was injured when a car was swept away by a sudden flood.
The authorities said that Bajaur flood waters had destroyed several houses and, in certain regions, the residents were forced to evacuate. Land lands have also been reported in other parts of the KP and the Gilgit-Baltistan, disrupting travel and slowing down rescue efforts.
The KP Minister -Chief, Ali Amin Gandapur, ordered the immediate deployment of all the resources available for rescue and help, leading the Malakand commissioner and the assistant commissioner to supervise operations.
Read also: Another wave of monsoon to strike this week
A provincial government helicopter was sent to Bajaur to help. He also asked the district administrations, in particular DIR and SWAT, to remain on alert and to ensure protective measures to safeguard lives and goods.
The number of deaths at the national level of the current monsoon fate, which started on June 26, increased to 343, with more than 740 people injured, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). The province of eastern Punjab remains the worst blow, with 164 deaths and more than 582 injuries.
The monsoon rains, from June to September, often causes generalized damage across Pakistan, but experts say that their severity has increased in recent years, which makes life and rescue efforts more urgent and complex.
