Heavy rains that lashed different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Thursday and Friday claimed the life of a woman besides resulting in the suspension of power supply to several areas in the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO) region, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Saturday.  

According to the spokesman for the PESCO, in all, 124 feeders were tripped. “Peshawar, Khyber and Swat circles were affected the most,” he said, adding, “As many as 48 feeders in Peshawar circle, 22 in Khyber circle and 12 in Swat circle were tripped.”

The spokesman informed that on the instructions of Chief Engineer Akhtar Hameed Khan, the field staff had been put on a high alert and was busy doing the repair work. “Soon the power supply to these areas will be restored,” he hoped.

He asked the consumers of PESCO to contact on helpline number 118 in case of an emergency.  

Woman killed in incident of roof collapse in Khyber

A woman was killed while her two sons were injured when the roof of her house caved in due to persistent rains in district Khyber.

Section of Pak-Afghan highway closed due to rains

On the other hand, people commuting between Peshawar and Landi Kotal and vice versa on the Pak-Afghan highway are facing a lot of inconvenience as the downpour has made it hard for the motorists to drive.  

To make matters further worse, section of the highway beyond Arrkhanda checkpost has been closed to traffic due to landslide.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) had on Friday issued an advisory, urging the relevant departments to enhance preparedness for flash floods and emergency response amid ongoing rainfall.

The NDMA’s NEOC (National Emergencies Operation Center) had predicted more rains until April 22, with potential flooding in some parts of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a news release said.

The rainfall may trigger flash floods in local nullahs of the region, including Khuzdar, Ziarat, Zhob, Sherani, Muslim Bagh, Quetta, Pishin, Kech, Panjgur, Gwadar, and Turbat.

Flooding may also occur in low-lying areas during the forecast period, particularly in southern western Baluchistan.

A subsequent weather system from April 23-24, will bring milder conditions, while a stronger system from April 25-29 is expected to cause heavy rainfall and possible hailstorms, affecting various parts of the provinces including Balochistan, Sindh, and Punjab.

NDMA has urged local authorities to ensure readiness for emergency response. Citizens living in risky areas should follow safety guidelines such as staying away from electric poles and weak infrastructure, and refrain from driving or walking in waterways.

Upper Swat, Shangla paralysed

 The torrential rains in upper Swat and nearby Shangla district have paralyzed routine life, forcing tourists and local residents to remain in their hotels and homes.

Besides Kalam and Malam Jabba, the torrential rains also affected routine life at Bahrain, Madain, Gabin Jabba, Miandam, Matiltan, Utror, Gabral, Matiltan, Mahodand, Loye Sar where tourists preferred to stay at hotels after the heavy downpour that lashed the entire Swat and Shangla districts since last two days.

Flash floods in water streams and canals inundated low laying areas, forcing people to pump out water in self help basis.

The heavy torrential rains also affected standing wheat crop and orchards gardens in upper Swat where farmers demanded of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for compensation.

Reports of landslides at links roads connecting Kalam-Mingora Road were also reported which disrupted traffic flow.

Reporters: Amir Shahzad and Jahanzeb Afridi