ISLAMABAD: 14 people were killed and two others injured in torrential monsoon rains and mudslides that hit residential units in the Torghar District district of Hazara Division on Sunday, Radio Pakistan reported.
A police officer, Mohammad Nawaz, said 11 bodies were recovered from the debris of mud and brick houses, and rescuers were searching for the remaining victims, which included women and children.
Nawaz said three adjacent homes were completely swept away in the remote village, while other houses were less affected. 16 members of separate families were residing in those houses and the search for the remaining two has been underway.
Authorities in Abbottabad said a mudslide in the suburbs also killed a couple and their child and injured three others.
#Pakistan: At least 14 people were killed and two injured due to heavy rain thunderstorm in Jhatka area, #Torghar, #Mansehra, Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/3SSXjLINqD
— Wᵒˡᵛᵉʳᶤᶰᵉ Uᵖᵈᵃᵗᵉˢ𖤐 (@W0lverineupdate) September 12, 2021
The injured were shifted to a nearby hospital, rescue officials said.
Streets and homes were flooded with sewage water over the weekend, where the city’s outdated drainage and waste systems were overwhelmed by another spell of heavy rain.
The disaster management authorities said they were dispatching relief aid to the affected area but mudslides in mountainous areas were delaying delivery. Efforts were underway to clear the roads.
Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan expressed grief over the loss of life. In a statement issued by his office, the chief minister directed the rescue officials to leave no stone unturned in facilitating the families displaced in the tragedy.
Monsoon rains are lashing the province at a time when authorities are trying to contain the spread of the coronavirus, which has caused more than 5,250 deaths since February last year when the country reported its first case.
Pakistan reported 58 more Covid-19 deaths Sunday, one of the lowest numbers of daily fatalities in more than two months.
Every year, many cities in Pakistan struggle to cope with the annual monsoon deluge, drawing criticism about poor planning. The season runs from July through September.
Climate impacts including cloud bursts, which lead to heavy downpours, are becoming more frequent in Pakistan in recent years, causing casualties and damages.
