A teenage boy lost his life after a makeshift shelter collapsed during heavy rain and snowfall in Upper South Waziristan, officials and residents said on Wednesday. The incident occurred late Tuesday night in the mountainous Ows Pass area of Tiarza tehsil.
Residents said the 15-year-old boy belonged to a nomadic family that had been living in a tent-like structure in the area for a long time. Continuous rain followed by snowfall weakened the shelter, causing it to cave in while the boy was inside.
Read More: South Waziristan residents welcome snowfall and rain as winter sets in
They said the child remained trapped under the debris for some time and succumbed to his injuries before he could be rescued. The district administration later confirmed the incident and said the boy was laid to rest in his native area.
جنوبی وزیرستان گزشتہ رات ہونے والی شدید بارش کے نتیجے میں جنوبی وزیرستان اپر کے علاقہ علاقہ اوس پاس میں افسوسناک واقعہ پیش آیا جہاں یوسف نامی افغان خانہ بدوش کا خیمہ نما چھپر گرنے سے ان کا 15 سالہ بیٹا جاں بحق ہو گیا۔ pic.twitter.com/bQkvxjjRDE
— Lal Wazir journalist in PAK -AFG (@LalWazir19) December 31, 2025
Local elders, community members and notables attended the funeral prayers and expressed solidarity with the bereaved family, urging authorities to provide assistance to vulnerable nomadic communities exposed to harsh weather conditions.
Meanwhile, rain and snowfall continued to affect several parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the third consecutive day. High-altitude areas of Hazara and Malakand divisions received heavy snowfall, while plains were lashed by rain, causing temperatures to fall sharply.
Officials said snowfall was recorded in Kaghan, Siren and Konsh valleys, the tourist resort of Shogran in Mansehra, and upper areas of Kohistan. The Mansehra–Naran–Jalkhad Road remained open up to Kaghan town after clearance operations by the Kaghan Development Authority.
In Abbottabad and Galiyat areas, the season’s first snowfall disrupted normal life, with temperatures dropping below freezing point. Authorities deployed machinery to clear major roads and advised tourists to exercise caution.
Read More: Cold wave grips KP after rain, snowfall
Health officials warned that the cold spell had led to an increase in chest and throat infections, particularly among children, urging people to keep infants properly warm as cold conditions persist across the province.