PESHAWAR/ISLAMABAD – At least four members of a family died when the roof of their dilapidated house collapsed on them amid heavy rains in the Luqman Banda area of Dir Lower on early Monday.
Rescue workers said that after hectic efforts of around five hours, the bodies of four family members were recovered from the debris of the house. The rescue workers said that heavy rain and muddy conditions caused difficulties during the search and rescue operation. The victims included a woman, a young girl and two children. The dead bodies were shifted to the hospital for final medical examination and later handed over to heirs. Those died were identified by police as Subhania Bibi, wife of Muslim Zada, Mujtaba (9 months), Raham Seb Bibi (17) and Husna Bibi (9). Moving scenes were witnessed in the area when the dead bodies were shifted for burial.
Meanwhile, at least four people of the same family including women and children were killed and six others injured when roof of a room, collapsed due to heavy downpour in Shin Drang area of Bara tehsil in Khyber district on Monday.
Rescue 1122 officials said the unfortunate incident occurred near Abaseen School in Shin Drang where the roof of a room of Abdur Razzaq’s house collapsed during heavy rain.
Soon after receiving information rescue teams reached the site and started their operation. Rescue officials retrieved all the people from the rubble and shifted them to hospital where four of them succumbed to injuries. The treatment of six injured was underway at the hospital.
The dead included two girls, a woman and a 14-year-old boy named Ibrar, son of Munawar Shah.
Balochistan government has declared rain and urban flood emergency due to continuous heavy rains which battered different districts of the province, killing and injuring several people across the province, spokesman of the Balochistan government Shahid Rind said on Monday.
He said the leave of all officers and staff has been canceled to promptly ensure rescue services to people in the flood-hit areas and to avert any untoward situation.
Shahid Rind said schools will remain closed on April 15 and 16 in rain-affected districts of the province.
Under the chairmanship of Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti online meeting of Commissioners and PDMA officials held to review the situation caused by heavy rains in the province and the measures being taken for the rescue of affected people.
In the meeting, Principal Secretary to the CM Imran Zarkoon and DG PDMA briefed the participants on the overall situation occurred due to heavy rain in the province.
Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti expressed anger over public complaints of lack of drainage and reaffirmed to provide the required resources and support to all the field officers to take timely and precautionary measures in order to deal with any emergency situation in the rain-affected areas of the province.
The CM said it is our responsibility to get the people out of trouble and suffering.
Sarfraz Bugti has instructed that the field officers to eliminate the encroachment on the drainage canals.
He directed the field officers and district administration officials to visit the affected areas and provide all-possible help to the affectees.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Disaster Management Authority Monday issued a report on the loss of lives and property in the province due to heavy rains during the last three days.
According to preliminary reports, eight people were killed and 12 people were injured. Four children, three men and a woman were among those died while the injured include four women, six men and two children.
According to the report, a total of 85 houses were damaged due to the collapse of walls and roofs in different districts, of which 15 houses were completely damaged and 70 houses were partially damaged.
Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa directed the concerned district administration to provide immediate assistance to the affected family and provide the best medical facilities to the injured.
After culmination of the ongoing rain spell on April 15, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast more rain-wind/thunderstorm at various parts of the country during the current week with occasional gaps.
Another strong westerly wave was likely to enter western parts of the country on April 16 (night) and likely to grip most parts of Balochistan on April 17 and will extend to upper parts on April 18.
Under the influence of this weather system, rain-wind/thunderstorm with few heavy, with isolated very heavy falls) is expected in Balochistan including Gwadar, Kech, Awaran, Chagi, Kharan, Awaran, Lasbella, Khuzdar, Kalat, Noushki, Mastung, Jhal Magsi, Naseerabad, Sibbi, Kohlu, Dera Bugti, Barkhan, Loralai, Harnai, Qilla Saifullah, Mastung, Ziarat, Shirani, Zhob, Musa Khel and Barkhan from April 16 (night) to April 19 (morning).
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, rain-windstorm/thunderstorm accompanied by few heavy, with isolated very heavy falls with snowfall over high mountains is expected in Chitral, Dir, Swat, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Haripur, Kohistan, Shangla, Buner and Malakand, Waziristan, Kohat, Lakki Marwat, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Bajaur, Mohmand, Karak, Khyber, Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera, Swabi, Mardan and Kurram with occasional gaps from April 17 (night) to April 21. Hailstorm is also expected at isolated places during the forecast period.
Rain-wind/thunderstorm (few heavy falls) with snowfall over high mountains is expected in Gilgit Baltistan including Diamir, Astore, Ghizer, Skardu, Hunza, Gilgit, Ghanche and Shigar and in Kashmir including Neelum valley, Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Poonch, Hattian, Bagh, Haveli, Sudhanoti, Kotli, Bhimber, Mirpur with occasional gaps from April 18 to April 22.
In Punjab/Islamabad, rain-wind/thunderstorm with few heavy falls/hailstorm is expected in Murree, Galliyat, Islamabad/Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Sialkot, Narowal, Lahore, Kasur, Okara, Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Jhang, Khushab, Sargodha, Mianwali, Pakpattan and Sahiwal from April 18-21 while in Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, Bhakkar, Layyah, Multan, Kot Addu, Muzaffargarh, Rahim Yar Khan, Sadiqabad, Khanpur, Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar with occasional gaps from April 18 to April 20.
In Sindh, rain-wind/thunderstorm is expected in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Jacobabad, Kashmore, Larkana, Dadu, Qambar Shahdad Kot, Jamshoro and Sanghar from April 17 (night) to April 19 (morning).
About the possible impacts, the PMD said that heavy rainfall may generate flash flooding in local nullahs/Streams of Balochistan specially Gwadar, Kech, Awaran, Kalat, Khuzdar on April 17 and 18, while Dir, Swat, Chitral, Kohistan, Manshera, Tributaries of Kabul River, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir from April 18-20.
The temperatures are likely to drop during the wet spell turning the weather pleasant.
The possibility of landslides in Upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Murree, Galiyat, Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan and may affect the vulnerable locations from April 18-21.
Windstorm/hailstorm and lightning may damage standing crops, loose structures like electric poles, vehicles and solar panels etc during the period.
The farmers especially in wheat harvested areas are advised to manage their crops keeping in view the weather conditions.
The tourists are advised to avoid unnecessary traveling during the forecast period.
All concerned authorities are advised to remain alert and take necessary measures to avoid any untoward situation during the forecast period.
