Torrential rains kill 17 people in northwest Pakistan in 24 hours

Peshawar, Aug 25 (PTI) At least 17 people including three children were killed and 50 others injured in northwest Pakistan in the last 24 hours as torrential rains and windstorms battered parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, officials said on Monday.

The deaths come as Pakistan reels from earlier monsoon spells between June 26 and August 20, which left more than 788 dead and 1,018 injured as of Saturday. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was the worst-hit province.

Heavy rains accompanied by strong winds hit Dera Ismail Khan district and adjoining areas early Sunday, leaving thirteen people dead and over 50 hurt in various incidents, mainly roof collapses, Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) spokesperson Bilal Faizi told PTI.

Faizi added that the injured were shifted to two different hospitals and over two dozen people were discharged after treatment.

In another incident, three children were killed when the roof of a house caved in at the Tikatak area of Maidan in Lower Dir district, a Rescue 1122 spokesperson said.

One person was killed in the Takhtbhai area of Mardan District when the roof of his house caved in due to torrential rains.

The storm also uprooted trees and downed power lines, disrupting electricity in several areas of Dera Ismail Khan.

Heavy showers were reported in Peshawar, Mardan, North and South Waziristan and other districts, while continuous rain in Palandri raised fears of landslides.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur expressed grief over the loss of lives and property and directed officials to provide immediate relief and medical care.

The National Disaster Management Authority has warned of heavy rains across most parts of the country until August 30, with similar conditions expected in Karachi. PTI AYZ GRS GRS GRS