Pakistan Flood News - 2024

[ghazi52]

15 killed in Chaman, AJK as rain continues to wreak havoc​

Saleem Shahid
April 19, 2024

GWADAR: Fishermen gather under a broken structure on the shore along a badly damaged road, as boats are stacked near the jetty following heavy rainfall in Balochistan, on Thursday.—AFP

QUETTA: Seven more people have been killed in accidents in Balochistan as heavy rains continue to inflict damages across the province.

So far, 17 people have died and 15 injured due to roof collapses, lightning strikes and other mishaps since heavy rain and thunderstorms started last week.

Separately, eight people were killed in two accidents as rainfall continued in several areas of Azad Kashmir.

The seven new deaths in Balochistan were reported from the border town of Chaman on Thursday.

According to Chaman Deputy Commissioner Athar Abbas Raja, the victims, including four women and two children, were travelling in a car which was swept away by a flash flood.

Family washed away in Balochistan border town; dozens stranded by urban flooding

A large number of mud houses have also been swept away by flash floods triggered by heavy rainfall on surrounding mountains, Mr Abbas told Dawn over the phone.

He said gushing water has also badly damaged roads, cutting Chaman off from other areas of Balochistan and suspending transit trade with Afghanistan.
A railway track was also affected, suspending the train service between Quetta and Chaman. Damage to another track at the Spintangi area in the Sibi-Harnai section has also suspended rail service between Sibi and Harnai.

The northeastern district of Harnai, which has been receiving heavy rain with thunderstorms for the last many days, has been cut off from Quetta and other areas as link roads were washed away by flash floods.

The link of Makran division with Karachi was also cut off after a bridge on the coastal highway between Ormara and Basool collapsed.

A small dam in Chaman burst as it received excessive rainwater during a downpour which started early Thursday morning and lasted for several hours.
Officials said that Pado Dam on the outskirts of border town was washed away, causing massive destruction in old and new Chaman.

The water entered human settlements and damaged houses, forcing the residents to flee to take refuge at safer places.

Flash floods also swept away eight cars parked in a showroom at Chaman Bypass, a senior official of Levies force said.

He added that life had been virtually suspended in Chaman as all roads were inundated due to urban flooding.

Roghani Road, Killi Roozudin, Killi Salehzai and other areas were badly affected with dozens of houses damaged.

Officials said personnel of Frontier Corps, Levies and local administration had launched rescue operations in the affected areas and were shifting stranded families.

Similar destruction of houses and roads was also reported in other areas as heavy rains continued in Ormara, Pasni, Jewani, Ziarat, Loralai, Musakhail, Barkhan, Dera Bugti, Kohlu, Sibi, Bolan, Noshki, Dalbandin, Washuk, Panjgur and areas bordering Iran and Afghanistan.

 

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Four including two girls killed as another rain spell hits KP​

Dawn Report
April 20, 2024

A rescue official examines the debris of a house that collapsed in Bannu on Friday. (Right) Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road blocked by a landslide in Kawai area of Kaghan Valley. — Dawn

PESHAWAR: Four persons, including two minor girls, were killed and eight others injured in separate incidents in various parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as another spell of heavy rain started lashing the province on Friday.

A Khal police station official said a house collapsed in Toormang area of Lower Dir due to heavy rain, killing an 11-year-old girl. The deceased was staying as guest in the house.
Separately, Amir Mohammad, a resident of Toormang, also informed the Khall police his son, Hidayatullah had been missing for last three days. He said his son had gone to a nearby stream to collect firewood on Tuesday, but did not return. He said it seemed his son had drowned in the flooded stream.

Besides, heavy rain continued to lash Upper and Lower Dir districts, disrupting traffic on the main Timergara-Peshawar Road on Friday evening due to flood in Shamshi Khan Khwar. The traffic was diverted to the Talash Bypass Road, but it also remained blocked due to mud brought on by flash floods.

Landslide blocks MNJ Road, stranding passengers for hours

Meanwhile, Lower Dir deputy commissioner Wasil Khan imposed ban on collection of firewood and gathering on the banks of Panjkora River.

Separately, a woman was injured in roof collapse incident in Hasilkhan Jafer area of Bannu district as light rain continued to lash Lakki Marwat and Bannu on Thursday.

A team of Rescue 1122 rushed to the locality and shifted the woman to the District Headquarters Hospital.

A rescue official told Dawn that a minor girl was killed and a woman was injured in a roof collapse incident in Khyber tribal district.

Similarly, another person died and three others injured in Bajaur district.

Two persons were injured in roof collapse incident in Charsadda.

Heavy rain continued to batter the provincial capital on Friday, inundating roads and low-lying areas.

Water and Sanitation Services Peshawar, in a statement said heavy rain led to increased pressure on city’s drainage system. It said due to limited capacity, water overflowed drains and accumulated on roads.

The civic agency said its staff was working round the clock to open drains clogged with polythene bags and solid waste and was monitoring the hotspots across the city.

Peshawar Electric Supply Company, in a statement said the rain affected power supply in several parts of the province.

It said 124 feeders tripped due to heavy rains, including 48 in Peshawar, 22 in Khyber and 12 in Swat circles. The power utility said its staff was working to restore power supply to the affected areas.

A landslide triggered by heavy downpour on Friday blocked the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road to traffic in Kawai area of Kaghan Valley.

Heavy boulders detached from a mountain rolled down on the road, blocking it to traffic.
A local told reporters that following the landslide traffic remained blocked, stranding passengers for over two hours.

The rain, which started earlier this week, continued to lash Mansehra, Torghar, Kolai-Palas, Upper Kohistan and Lower Kohistan, swelling Kunhar, Indus and Siren rivers.

Residents living along the riverbanks were directed to move to safer places.

The continued rains caused severe cold in the Hazara division.

The Met Department said during past 24 hours provincial capital received 44mm of rain, Cherat 70mm, Malam Jabba 58mm, Upper Dir 49mm, Lower Dir 34mm, Takht Bhai 35mm, Drosh, Dera Ismail Khan 24mm, Patan 15mm, Parachinar 13mm, Bannu 12mm and Balakot 8mm of rain.

Besides, the Met department also predicted more rain with snowfall over mountains in Chitral, Dir, Swat, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Haripur, Kohistan, Shangla, Buner, Malakand, Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera, Swabi, Mardan, Kurram, Kohat, Lakki Marwat, Bannu, Waziristan, Tank, Karak and Dera Ismail Khan on Friday night and Saturday.

On the other hand, Provincial Disaster Management Authority said on Friday the rain spell from April 12-18 resulted into deaths of 36 persons and injuries to 46 others.
PDMA said 20 of the deceased were children.

Similarly, a total of 2,391 houses were damaged.

In Swat, a woman was electrocuted in Ghwari Masta area of Fizagat as intermittent rain persisted throughout the day. She was identified as Malia. The woman got an electric shock while putting fodder to cattle in her house. She was immediately transported to Saidu Sharif Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.

Snowfall also lashed the higher places.

Due to rise in water level in the Swat River and streams, deputy commissioner Dr Mohammad Qasim Khan banned people from going near them.

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2024

 

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Heavy rains paralyse life in Hazara division​

Flash floods have also breached defences, entered homes and caused widespread destruction.

Our Correspondent
April 22, 2024

PHOTO: EXPRESS

ABBOTTABAD: During the second three days of continuous torrential rain spell in Hazara division, life has been paralysed, severing many road connections and triggering landslides that have blocked several roads, including the Karakoram Highway (KKH) in Kohistan.

According to details, the persistent heavy downpours across Hazara division, including Haripur, Abbottabad city, Galyat, Kaghan, Naran, Kohistan, Battagram and Thandyani have resulted in numerous road blockages due to landslides.

Flash floods have also breached defences, entered homes and caused widespread destruction.

In Havelian, Abbottabad, Qalandar Abad and Mansehra, the KKH has been blocked at multiple points by flash floods, leaving thousands of vehicles stranded in the water.

Heavy rain, coupled with thunder and hailstorms, has caused significant damage to electricity transmission lines and telecommunication systems across most parts of the Hazara division. Several link roads throughout the division have been cut off due to flash floods and landslides.

In Abbottabad city, once again flash floods, swept away furniture and household items in various parts of the city. Key roads such as KKH, Main Murree Road, Kakul Road, Mandian, Supply Bazaar and Link Road Abbottabad have turned into virtual cesspools.

Numerous thoroughfares and connecting roads in Galyat, Thandiani, Mansehra, Battagram and the Kaghan Valley have been destroyed by heavy rain, landslides, and flash floods.

In Mansehra, structural collapses and other incidents triggered by windstorms and heavy rain have been reported.