Heavy rains kill 12 in KP as NDMA issues nationwide flood alert

ISLAMABAD: Heavy monsoon rain has left 12 people dead and 18 injured in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the past three days, while the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued a countrywide alert for flash floods, urban flooding and landslides from July 21 to 24, according to official statements.

A Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) report covering Sunday to Tuesday said those killed included five men, two women and five children. It added that 10 men, four women and four children were injured during the same period. The report also recorded the death of four animals in Upper Dir, Abbottabad and Buner, while three houses were completely destroyed and 15 sustained partial damage.

According to the PDMA, half of the fatalities were reported in Khyber district, where a vehicle carrying Afghan families was swept away by a flash flood on Monday. Two children were killed in Mardan and one man died in Peshawar in separate rain-related incidents. Khyber also accounted for half of the injured, while five people were hurt in Mardan and four in Torghar.

Power outages reported in several districts

The Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) said heavy rain caused outages on 148 feeders in different parts of the province. In a statement issued through its spokesperson, the utility said rainfall had continued for 12 hours across Peshawar, Khyber, Mardan, Swabi and Swat.

Of the affected feeders, 71 were in Peshawar Circle, 22 in Mardan, 33 in Khyber, 12 in Swabi and 10 in Swat Circle. Pesco said supply was also disrupted in Peshawar’s Gulberg, University Town, Cantt, Warsak and Shabqadar areas, adding that ongoing rain was slowing restoration work.

The spokesperson said teams had worked overnight and power had been restored to 42 feeders. Pesco Chief Executive Officer Akhtar Hamid Khan directed operational staff to remain on high alert, and the company said necessary equipment had been provided to speed up restoration.

Flood and landslide warnings across the country

Separately, the NDMA warned that heavy monsoon rains between July 21 and 24 could trigger flash floods in rivers, local streams and mountain waterways in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and northeastern Balochistan. It asked provincial and district authorities to stay on alert, deploy emergency teams and take preventive steps in vulnerable areas.

In Gilgit-Baltistan, the authority said Hunza, Shigar and Ghanche districts faced possible flooding in the Shimshal, Hunza, Chapursan, Kilik, Shigar, Shyok and Hushe rivers. In Azad Jammu and Kashmir, it warned that water levels could rise sharply in the Jhelum, Neelum, Poonch, Mahl and Kanshi rivers, along with Betar and Bhimber nullahs and tributaries of the Jhelum and Poonch.

The NDMA said the Chitral, Kabul, Swat and Panjkora rivers in KP could also see flash flooding. It added that local streams in Khyber, Kurram, Orakzai, Kohat, Bannu, Karak, Hangu, Lakki Marwat, North and South Waziristan, Bajaur, Mohmand, Mansehra, Buner and Swabi were at risk as well.

In Punjab, it warned of strong flows in hill torrents in Dera Ghazi Khan, the Soan River and the Potohar region. Flooding was also forecast in rivers and seasonal streams of northeastern Balochistan. The NDMA further said high-level flooding was expected at Marala Headworks on the Chenab River and in the upper reaches of Mangla on the Jhelum River, while water levels could also rise quickly in the Dora, Dota, Dwara, Bhimber, Halsi, Aik, Plakho, Bein, Basantar, Dek and Sukhi nullahs.

The authority also cautioned that additional releases from India’s Thein, Pong and Bhakra dams could raise flows in the Ravi and Sutlej rivers. It warned of urban flooding in low-lying parts of Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Khushab, Sialkot, Gujrat, Narowal, Lahore, Okara, Chakwal and Attock.

The NDMA separately issued a landslide alert for Chitral and mountainous parts of Gilgit-Baltistan from July 21 to 23. It said the warning covered Zangram to Ayun, Bamburet, Drosh to Lowi, Hindur to Barkulti, Qarghalti, Upper Yasin, Badswat to Bellahans, Puriyan Sar, Shamsabad, Ultar to Shispar, Karimabad to Altit, Hopper Nagar, Rama to Astore, Tarishing to Rupal and the Jaglot Skardu Road between RD 20 and RD 80, where falling rocks, debris flows and landslides could disrupt traffic.

The authority advised people not to cross rivers and streams during periods of strong flow and urged the public to avoid unnecessary travel to vulnerable mountainous areas during the forecast period. It also directed relevant departments to monitor sensitive locations, maintain emergency readiness and ensure arrangements for immediate road clearance where blockages occur.