88 people died in KPK due to rain: PDMA

Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) released a statement on Saturday stating at least 88 people have died due to continuous rain and flooding in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since July.

The authorities also added that among the fatalities, 43 are children, including 26 boys and 17 girls, who had died as a result of the ongoing monsoon season.

Additionally, PDMA reported that since last month, the devastating rains had led to at least 129 injuries. This number includes 39 men, 29 women, and 61 children.

The authorities stated, “Rains have damaged a total of 958 houses.”

Due to rain, 260 houses were completely wrecked, while 698 houses had suffered partial damage.

A massive landslide struck a house in the Upper Dir area early on Friday morning, resulting in the deaths of at least 12 family members, including nine children.

The police report confirmed that the tragic event occurred in the Upper Dir Maidan area.

Meanwhile, continuous rains in KP have severely impacted tourism, leaving a dozen tourists stranded in Kumrat Valley in the Upper Dir region.

According to Assistant Commissioner Focal Person Shahid Ali, tourists had been stuck in their valley hotel rooms for three days without going outside.

As per officials, efforts are underway to safely evacuate the stranded tourists today.

“At least 50 to 70 tourists have been advised to make their way to Jaaz Banda,” stated Ali.

The official also informed that the government is working on rehabilitation of the Dir-Kumrat highway near Barikot and is providing food and water to stuck tourists.

Pakistan is currently experiencing intense monsoon rains, and the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) forecasts more widespread rain and windstorms over the next several days.

In a statement released by the Met Office on Friday, significant rainfall is expected in Sindh, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), Islamabad, KP, northeast and south Balochistan, northeast and central Punjab, the Potohar area, and Kashmir within the next 24 hours.

The Met Office also warned that the ongoing weather pattern could trigger landslides in GB, Murree, Galliyat, Mansehra, Kohistan, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Buner, and Kashmir.