Rain, landslides wreak havoc: 26 killed in KP, AJK

PESHAWAR: At least 26 people have been killed in landslides and cloudburst-related incidents in Lower Dir, Bajaur areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Azad Kashmir as heavy rains continue to batter the region.

In Bajaur’s Salarzai area, 16 people lost their lives and four were injured after a landslide and cloudburst triggered flash floods, the deputy commissioner confirmed.

Rescue teams, with help from locals, saved four people, while the injured were shifted to hospital. Divers are searching for those swept away, with operations underway under the district emergency officer’s supervision.

In Lower Dir’s Maidan Suri Pao area, the roof of a house collapsed, killing three people and injuring four. Rescue work is being hampered by heavy rain and floodwaters. Women and children are among the injured.

SEVEN KILLED IN AJK CLOUD BURST

In Azad Kashmir, heavy rains and a cloudburst wreaked havoc in Sarli Sacha, Muzaffarabad, killing seven people, including six members of the same family.

In Neelum Valley, several houses and two bridges were washed away. Hundreds of tourists were stranded in Ratti Gali, with 100 rescued so far.

Heavy rain continues to lash Islamabad, floods in G-B

The Neelum, Jhelum and Poonch rivers are in high flood. Authorities have urged residents to remain alert.

AJK PM CHAIRS EMERGENCY MEETING

Azad Kashmir Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwar-ul-Haq chaired a late-night emergency meeting at the SDMA control room to review the situation caused by recent heavy rains.

The meeting decided to immediately shift populations within a 35-foot radius of rivers to safer locations. The prime minister directed that compensation payments to rain-affected citizens be ensured without delay.

In view of possible flash floods and concerns over India’s “water aggression”, the PM ordered strict monitoring of rivers. In Hattian, immediate measures were ordered to protect residents from rising water in the Jhelum River.

The meeting decided to provide temporary shelter to people whose houses collapsed in flash floods. The PM also directed a quick assessment of electricity losses in Jhelum, Neelum and Bagh, and sought a detailed report from the secretary of electricity.

An emergency checkpoint will be set up in Muzaffarabad to monitor water resources, while an operation will be launched to remove encroachments along riverbanks.

The PM ordered accelerated rescue operations for stranded tourists in Neelum and for cut-off areas. In Muzaffarabad, natural springs will be tested for water quality on an urgent basis.