The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on Tuesday released its report detailing human and property losses caused by ongoing rains that began on March 25 across various districts of the province.
According to the report, 21 people have lost their lives and 40 others have been injured over the past four days due to incidents such as collapsing roofs and walls. Since March 25, the total death toll has risen to 47 with 117 people injured.
Among the deceased, 27 were children, 13 were men and 7 were women. The injured include 45 men, 21 women and 51 children, highlighting the severe impact on vulnerable populations.
The rains have also caused significant property damage. A total of 652 houses have been affected, including 554 partially damaged homes and 98 completely destroyed structures.
The affected districts include Bannu, Abbottabad, Mardan, Bajaur, Hangu, Mohmand, Kohat, North Waziristan, Peshawar, Khyber, Nowshera, Dera Ismail Khan, Kurram, Lakki Marwat, Shangla, Battagram, Lower Kohistan, Mansehra, Torghar, Swat, Upper Dir, Charsadda, Buner, Malakand, Lower Dir, Orakzai, South Waziristan and Tank.
PDMA, along with Rescue 1122, district administrations and other relevant departments is actively engaged in relief operations. Relief goods have been dispatched to affected areas and local administrations have been directed to ensure timely assistance to victims. Authorities have also instructed district officials to accelerate rescue and relief efforts and provide immediate support to those affected.
The PDMA has warned that a new spell of rain is expected from April 6 to April 9, raising concerns of further damage. There is also a risk of low to medium-level flooding in the Kabul River at Nowshera, along with potential surges in associated streams and tributaries.
The public has been advised to avoid unnecessary travel, stay away from vulnerable tourist locations, and strictly follow official alerts and advisories. The PDMA Emergency Operations Center remains fully operational. Citizens can report emergencies or seek weather updates by calling the toll-free helpline 1700.
Meanwhile, rescue personnel evacuated several people as rain caused flooding in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s provincial capital, Peshawar, on Tuesday while an operation was also carried out in the province’s Mohmand district to rescue a group of people stranded in floodwater. Meanwhile, heavy showers also lashed parts of Punjab.
The continuing spell of rain over the past few days has claimed several lives in KP and Punjab, as well as, Balochistan.
Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Ahmed Faizi told Dawn that at least 65 people were evacuated from Peshawar’s Sardar Colony on Tuesday due to flooding in Budhni nullah during a heavy downpour in the afternoon.
He said that water level in the nullah has increased, with water entering Sardar Colony.
A flood alert on the Irrigation Department’s X account at around 3:30pm said that discharge in Budhni nullah had increased up to 13,035 cusecs and that it was in high flood.
In the evening, Rescue 1122 said in a statement that District Emergency Officer Iftikhar Khan was overseeing de-watering operations that were under way since last night in Peshawar’s Shaheen Housing Society, Warsak Road, Budhni Bridge, Sardar Colony, Board Bazaar, Bara Bridge and other areas.
It said rainwater had entered houses and neighbourhoods in the city’s Sardar Garhi area, from where rescue personnel had evacuated over 70 people.
The Rescue 1122 spokesperson in Mohmand, Abdullah Mohmand, told Dawn that a group of people stranded in flash floodwaters in the Yousaf Khel Wacha Jora area of Haleemzai tehsil were rescued on Tuesday.
He said a sudden surge in floodwater level had left them stranded along with a vehicle. All of them were later rescued and taken to a safe location along with the vehicle, he added.
For his part, KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi directed relevant authorities to take precautionary measures in view of heavy rains across the province, a statement issued by his office said.