Flight operations suspended at Gwadar Airport till Tuesday due to flood situation n Heavy snowfall blocks Garamchishma road in Chitral n Tourists trapped in Malam Jabba rescued safely.
PESHAWAR/ ISLAMABAD/ TIMERGARA - At least seventeen people died and twentythree others injured as heavy rains lashed different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province during the last twenty four hours, officials said on Saturday.
Heavy rainfall and snowfall disrupted daily life, causing tragic incidents in various parts of Pakistan. According to a report issued by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority in Peshawar, twentyone houses were completely damaged while thirteen partially damaged in the province. Meanwhile, tourists trapped by heavy snowfall in Malam Jabba were rescued safely.
Due to heavy rain in Gakhi Kundu Mahmond, three children died when the roof of the room of the house collapsed, Rescue 1122 said here Saturday. As soon as the control room received the information, the rescue 1122 disaster and medical teams reached the spot and started rescue operations.
In another incident, Rescue 1122 disaster team along with local people rescued the children from the debris. The roof of a crude house collapsed near Noothia Tilab Road. In the incident,15 animals (cows, sheep, goats) were buried under the debris whereas rescue teams have recovered all the animals safely. The family members remained safe during the accident.
The spokesperson of Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO) has said that due to incessant rain, 234 feeders were tripped since Friday, while 55 feeders were restored after necessary repairs, . He further said that the restoration of the feeders is facing serious problems due to the rains.
He said that PESCO field staff are engaged in power restoration and a special crisis management cell has been set up in to deal with the situation.
Also three persons of the family were killed while one infant got injured when the roof of the house caved-in due to the mudslide falling on the house in Taalsha Molikhat, Rescue 1122 official confirmed the incident here on Saturday. According to initial reports, four people were trapped under debris after a collapse, responding to which emergency responders arrived on the scene.
Rescue 1122 teams conducted a continuous search and rescue operation for three hours and thirty minutes. The rescue teams recovered four people buried under the debris during the rescue and search operation and shifted them to Category D Hospital Talash. The doctors confirmed the death of the four persons of a family.
Those killed in the roof collapsed include, Zahid, son of Sher Mullah, age 25 years, Saknanagari Bala. Talash, Wife Zahid age 23 years, Harira age 5 years, whereas child Arham aged three years got head injuries.
Director General Rescue 1122, Dr. Khateer Ahmed has stated that Rain Relief Operations continued without any break in different areas across the province, Officials of the Rescue 1122 said here. Rescue 1122 services and facilities are continuing in daily emergencies, including rain, he said. Seven people were killed and 5 injured due to the ongoing rain in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since last day. The victims include 5 children, a woman and a man.
Several animals also died during the incidents of roof collapse. Those incidents occurred in Peshawar, Lower Dir and Bajaur. Financial losses were also caused due to the collapse of roofs in various districts.
According to a private news channel report, from Lahore to Balochistan, Karachi, and the northern mountainous areas, the country faces a myriad of challenges due to the adverse weather conditions.
A day earlier, authorities declared a ‘rain emergency’ in Karachi as several parts of the province were in the grip of unpredictable weather.
In Lahore, light rain was reported in Gulberg, Lahore Cantonment, Lakshmi Chowk, and on Mall Road on Friday.
Johar Town, Defense, Canal Road, Thokar Niaz Baig, Wahdat Road, and surrounding areas also witnessed rainfall.
The cascade of rain extended beyond Lahore, with cities in Punjab such as Kasur, Muridke, Phoolnagar, Sharaqpur, and Jhang experiencing downpours.
Tragically, the heavy rains proved fatal for three people in Kamalia, where a dilapidated house collapsed. Another incident in Kharan resulted in the loss of three lives, two children among them. Similarly, Gwadar was experiencing another spell of heavy rain accompanied by winds and thunder.
The drainage system and rescue infrastructure have been severely affected, forcing residents to relocate to safe places.
In Sibbi and its adjacent areas, heavy rains persisted for 14 hours, causing a significant increase in the water levels of rivers and canals. The irrigation department has issued a high alert, instructing emergency rescue teams to remain active and ready to counter any unfortunate situation. Additionally, in northern mountainous areas, including Azad Kashmir, we were witnessing intermittent rain and snowfall, leading to a drop in temperatures.
However, the possibility of highway blockades due to snowfall and landslides looms large.
As the country grapples with the unprecedented weather conditions, citizens are urged to exercise caution, and emergency services are on high alert to respond to any untoward situation. In the upper and mountainous regions of Hazara division, a relentless series of rain and snowfall persists on Saturday, causing disruptions in daily life.
This phenomenon of rains and snowfall continues into the second day, affecting district Abbottabad, Mansehra, Battagram, Kohistan and Torghar district.
The adverse weather conditions have led to widespread electricity outages in most areas, further intensifying the challenges faced by residents. In response to the situation, district administrations of the region have taken measures to cope with the situation.
During two days of heavy snowfall Kaghan, Naran, and Shugran received more than 3 feet of snow while Galyat and Thandyani received up to one foot of snow which has blocked all sorts of communication links in both districts snow hit area.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced on Saturday the suspension of flight operations at Gwadar Airport until Tuesday. According to a private news channel, the decision comes in response to the flood situation in Gwadar, as stated by the CAA spokesperson.
A new notice has been issued, confirming the suspension of flight operations at Gwadar airport until Tuesday.
Earlier, the Balochistan government had declared a state of emergency and declared Gwadar a calamity-hit area following heavy rains that caused significant damage in the city.
Four members of a family, among them a mother and her two children, received burn injuries while lighting a stuck school building in two different incidents in the remote and far-flung town of Pindigheb here Saturday, police and rescue sources told. In the first incident, the house of Husnain turned to ashes as fire engulfed the whole house due to gas leakage in the early hours of Saturday. As result, a 35-year-old house lady, his 4-year-old son Muhammad, his 2-year-old son Jabrial and his 31-year-old sister-in-law received burn injuries. On getting information, the Rescue 1122 teams rushed to the spot and extinguished the fire.
The injured were taken to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Pindigheb, from where the house lady was shifted to Rawalpindi due to her critical burn injuries.
Separately, lightning stuck the building of Government Boys High School No. 2 around 11 a.m. on Saturday. The electrical wiring and sound system burned to ashes and the windowpanes of the class rooms shattered. However, no student or teacher was injured in the incident. Panic and fear were spread among the students due to the incident.
Heavy snowfall blocks Garamchishma road in Chitral The Garam Chashma Road has been closed to all traffic due to the heavy snow, stranding around 40,000 people and cutting them off from other parts of Chitral.
Heavy snowfall continued in Chitral and its suburban areas through the night, with two to three inches accumulating in Chitral City since Thursday. Meanwhile, up to two feet of snow was recorded along the Loweri Tunnel Road.
After two days of continuous rain, snow began falling across Upper and Lower Chitral districts last night. The snow has intensified the bitter cold, with markets unusually quiet and traffic sparse on roads.
Authorities have warned residents to avoid unnecessary travel to steer clear of avalanches and landslides.
In the Kailash Valley areas of Bomburit, Barir Rambur, and Shekhanandeh, up to two feet of snow has accumulated. Over two feet of snowfall also hit Midgalshit, where avalanches have damaged the road in multiple locations.
Meanwhile, The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has warned of urban flooding as it said that most parts of the country are likely to experience moderate to heavy rainfall and isolated thunderstorms in the next 48 hours.