Severe weather conditions have wreaked havoc in various parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, resulting in multiple casualties and injuries. Heavy rains have caused the collapse of roofs in different areas of the province, leading to tragic consequences.
Reports indicate that 17 individuals lost their lives, while 23 others sustained injuries as a result of the roof collapses. Among the deceased were five children, and numerous animals were also tragically killed after being buried under the debris.
In the district of Lower Dir, a couple and a child were killed, and another girl suffered serious injuries when the roof of their house collapsed. Rescue teams promptly responded to the incident, swiftly shifting the bodies and injured individuals to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Similarly, in Batkhela, Malakand, a mother and her young daughter succumbed to their injuries following a roof collapse, while three others, including two children, were injured. Meanwhile, in Tehsil Baizai, three women sustained injuries in another roof collapse incident, prompting immediate rescue efforts.
Tragic incidents continued to unfold in Bajaur, where three children lost their lives due to a collapsed crude house roof, and in Mardan, where a girl met a similar fate.
Further exacerbating the situation, a child was injured in Bara Kamarkhel New Attari of Khyber after another roof collapse incident, with intermittent rainfall persisting in the district for the third consecutive day.
Meanwhile, in upper areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, life came to a standstill as heavy snowfall paralyzed the region. Landslides blocked communication roads in Muzaffarabad, Mansehra Road and Pir Chinasi, while communication roads were also closed due to snowfall and rain in Galiyat.
Snowfall-induced road closures continued across various parts, with the Lowari Tunnel shuttered to traffic and the national highway in Chaman closed for heavy traffic due to snowfall at Kojak Top. Additionally, Pishin and Kalat experienced heavy snowfall, further intensifying the cold weather conditions.
Efforts to rescue stranded tourists in the snow-hit areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are underway, as the Meteorological Department warns of the possibility of more rains and snowfall in the province in the coming days.
