Daily Times

At least 20 people were killed and dozens more injured after torrential rainstorms collapsed several homes along the Afghan border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, officials said Saturday.

Heavy rains have lashed stretches of the country near the Afghan border since Thursday. Fourteen children and three women were killed in rain-related incidents in KP province, local relief official Taimur Ali said. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) confirmed those deaths, adding that three more people had died in Balochistan.

In the worst single incident, five children were killed when the roof of their home collapsed in Dargai town. Rain also damaged another 51 houses and snowfall blocked several roads in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

At least 17 people have been killed and over 30 injured in rain-related incidents in different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since Wednesday, according to a situation report released by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on Saturday.

The report said that some 47 houses have been partly damaged while two houses have been completely destroyed by the recent heavy rains and thunderstorms in the province, a private TV channel reported.

Relief items have been distributed among those affected by the rains in Charsadda and Mardan after special directives were issued by KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, according to the PDMA. It added that cheques were also given to the relatives of two children who had died in rain-related incidents in Nowshera by the district administration. The PDMA said that it is in close contact with the administration in all districts of the province and relief efforts are ongoing.

The provincial chief minister direchas ted all the deputy commissioners to aid the affectees by sending their teams in the field. He said the damages due to the rains will be calculated and the government will aid the people on an emergency basis.

The spell of rains and snowfall has subsided in the northern parts of Balochistan, while it continued to pour in parts of Punjab, KP and Azad Kashmir. Due to snowfall, the linking roads of Galiyat were closed, while Nathiagali, Chhangla Gali, and Ayubia received 1.5ft of snow.

In January this year, a huge landslide claimed more than 76 lives in Azad Kashmir. As per the State Disaster Management Authority, 22 shops and more than a hundred houses were struck as a result of the avalanche, with at least 91 houses completely destroyed and 101 partially damaged.