Peshawar/Islamabad: At least 154 people were killed and several injured as heavy rains lashed several parts of Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir over the past 24 hours, officials said on Friday.
Most of the deaths occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province after torrential rains triggered flash floods in various districts, while floods damaged scores of buildings and blocked major arteries, including the Karakoram Highway and Baltistan Highway in Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
A total of 75 people died in Buner district, 17 in Mansehra and 18 each in Bajaur and Batagram districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, local government officials said.
“Over 125 people, including children, have died as the cloud burst followed by flash floods struck parts of the province since Thursday night,” spokesman for Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Faizi told PTI Friday.
Faizi, however, added that the number of deaths is expected to rise further as scores of people are still missing in affected areas. Five were killed and four were wounded in Lower Dir; four deaths were reported in Swat; while one casualty and two injuries were recorded in Shangla in the province.
A search and rescue operation was underway under the supervision of Bajaur District Emergency Officer (DEO) Amjad Khan, Faizi said.
In the flood-affected areas of Swat and Bajaur, Pakistan Army’s relief operations too are underway, with the army teams relocating residents from inundated areas to
safer locations.