Swabi:
Sudden floods triggered by a powerful explosion of clouds and lightning struck the mountainous region of Gadoon-Amazai in the Swabi district, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) early on Monday, killing at least 25 and 35 others injured.
Whole villages have been overwhelmed while torrential waters have swept away houses, livestock and infrastructure, adding to the assembly assessment of the devastating season of this year monsoon. “A cloud in Swabi has completely destroyed several houses,” said a district official at AFP.
According to the inhabitants, the sudden push of gushing water destroyed dozens of houses in the villages of Dalori Bala, Sarkoi Payan and Karnal Sher Kallay, buried families under the mud and the rubble. “At least 40 people are still missing,” said a local resident.
Swabi assistant commissioner Nasrullah Khan has confirmed that 20 people have perished in Dalori bans alone, with only 10 bodies recovered so far. In Sarkoi Payan, two women and their children were swept away, while Karnal Sher Kallay, a young man drowned in flood waters.
Elsewhere, landslides have buried vehicles in the village of Bada and several roofs collapsed in Kolagar. The roadway binding the topi with Marghuz and Zaida was swept away, while electricity pylons and mobile communication networks collapsed under the strength of the rains.
Two helicopters of the Pakistani army were sent to air transport survivors, while the 1122 rescue teams from Swabi, Mardan, Nowshera and Haripur joined the operations. Tayyab Abdullah, director general of Rescue 1122, reached Swabi to personally supervise the mission, deployment of more than 90 staff members, 13 ambulances, disaster vehicles, water units and specialized equipment.
The provincial disaster management authority (PDMA) said that the overall death number of Mousson in KP had reached 341, including 222 in the Buner district alone. At least 178 others were injured and 420 damaged houses.
Throughout the province, torrential rains sparked more floods and landslides that swept entire colonies. Rescue work has been hampered by continuous rains, with new spells threatening more sudden floods in the coming days.
Biner, the hardest district, saw 12 villages destroyed last week. “This morning, new rains stopped at rescue operations,” said volunteer Nisar Ahmad, 31, who dug through rubble to recover the bodies.
He added that 219 corpses had already been recovered. “Dozens of others are still buried under the mud and the rocks, and can only be recovered with heavy machines. But the makeshift tracks that we built to access the villages were again swept away.”
The other affected districts include Swat, Bajaur, Manshra, Shangla, Lower Dir, Battagram and the surroundings, said PDMA. “These extreme meteorological events have seriously had an impact on communities, leaving many displaced people and in an urgent need for help,” said a PDMA official.
Meanwhile, a stormy downpour led to the collapse of a roof in the region of Pabbi Chochy Mamrez in the district of Nowsa, claiming the life of a couple. In the lower DIR, continuous precipitation has overflowed streams and drains, which considerably increases the water level in the Panjkora river.
Fear and despair seized the survivors. Ghumlam Hussain, 35, resident of Buner, recalled: “Even if he rains a little now, we are afraid. That day, he started with light rain and then people were suddenly taken away.” Food and water shortages have become a serious concern.
“Many cattle have also died in the Cloudburst, and their decomposition bodies distribute a foul odor,” said volunteer Ahmad. “Right now, our most urgent need is clean drinking water, and I appeal to the government to provide it.”
On the directives of chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, the KP government released RS3 billion for rescue and rehabilitation – half for immediate assistance and half for the repair of roads and communication networks.
The authorities also sent 89 trucks of tents, bedding, mosquito nets, food and essentials. Mobile hospitals, drying up pumps and emergency camps have been installed, with more than 5,000 people rescued so far.
During a high -level meeting, the chief minister promised that all the available resources would be mobilized for immediate relief and long -term rehabilitation. “The provincial government will not give up people in this hour of need,” he said.
Nationwide, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) reported that the heavy monsoon rains had killed more than 650 people and injured more than 920 since June. Preliminary estimates exert damages to public and private properties to more than RS126 million.
Tarbela nearly
Meanwhile, the PDMA said that the rain fate would continue until August 21. The latest meteorological opinion emphasizes that strong precipitation is planned for the regions of Peshawar, Swat, Hazara, Mansara, Abbottabad and Chitral of KP. Moderate to strong precipitation is also expected in Punjab and Sindh, he added.
After continuous precipitation in KP, Gilgit Baltistan (GB) and Azad Jammu and Cashmire (AJK), the water level in the dams increases. The water level in the Tarbela dam jumped 1,547 feet, which brought it to only three feet from its maximum capacity, officials said.
For the third consecutive day, the dams of the dam remained open to manage the assembly pressure. According to the latest data, the influx of water amounts to 345,000 brackets, while the flow has reached 381,000 brackets.
The Tarbela Industry River is currently attending an average level flood situation, although the authorities have warned that if the flooding torrents take on an additional intensity, the rejection of water could increase to 450,000 cuses.
In anticipation of the rise in water, the officials advised the communities of Riverside to be cautious, while a complete ban was imposed on tourist visits to Riverbanks to prevent accidents. The authorities continue to monitor the situation closely while the monsoon rains persist.
(With input of our correspondent Peshawar and AFP)
