Monsoon death toll rises in province as authorities issue new landslide warnings
Three people die in Khyber flash floods amid widespread monsoon rains in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. PHOTO: EXPRESS
PESHAWAR:
Three people died after being swept away by flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains in Khyber district on Monday, as widespread rains triggered fresh flooding and landslide warnings in much of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
A Rescue 1122 spokesperson said the death toll from flash floods in Landi Kotal had risen to three after the bodies of a woman, a man and a child were recovered during search operations. The woman and man were found in Jabba Khwar area in Jamrud, while the boy’s body was recovered in Parang Sam area with the help of residents.
According to the spokesperson, divers and local volunteers carried out a joint search operation before handing over the recovered bodies to the relevant authorities for legal procedures. The rescue service urged the public to avoid rivers, streams and seasonal waterways during heavy rain and to call 1122 in an emergency.
The floods followed torrential rains that hit Landi Kotal and other highland parts of Khyber district, causing seasonal streams to overflow and sweep away several vehicles. Authorities said no additional casualties had been reported in those incidents.
Elsewhere in KP, heavy rain was recorded in Peshawar and Nowshera, where dark clouds gave way to constant downpours, which significantly lowered temperatures and made the weather more pleasant.
Read: PDMA warns of flooding in Punjab rivers as monsoon rains intensify
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said partly cloudy, hot and humid conditions would prevail over large parts of the province, with rain accompanied by strong winds and thunderstorms expected in Chitral, Upper and Lower Dir, Swat, Shangla, Buner, Malakand, Upper and Lower Kohistan, Battagram, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Bajaur, Mohmand, Mardan, Swabi, Nowshera, Charsadda, Peshawar, Kohat, Karak. Hangu, Lakki Marwat, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, Kurram, Orakzai and North and South Waziristan.
Isolated heavy rain and hail are also possible in some areas.
The department warned that heavy rain could trigger landslides in vulnerable mountainous areas, while low-lying areas of Peshawar, Nowshera, Charsadda, Mardan and Swabi remain at risk of urban flooding. It also warned that strong winds and lightning could damage vulnerable infrastructure, including solar panels, utility poles and billboards.
In a statement, Rescue 1122 said it has placed all district emergency services on high alert as monsoon rains continue across the province, ordering emergency teams to remain fully prepared for possible flooding and other weather-related incidents.
During an online emergency meeting, Director General Rescue 1122 Shah Fahad directed all district emergency officials, particularly those in vulnerable and flood-prone districts, to ensure that emergency response operations were carried out in accordance with KP’s pre-approved monsoon contingency plans.
At least 38 people have been killed and 120 injured since the start of the monsoon season on June 26, with KP recording the highest death toll at 23, according to the National Disaster Management Authority’s (NDMA) latest daily situation report released last week.
The NDMA said house collapses remain the leading cause of monsoon-related deaths, accounting for 65.8% of all deaths. Lightning was responsible for 15.8% of deaths, followed by flash floods with 7.9%. Incidents involving solar panels and drowning each accounted for 2.6% of deaths, while falling trees and electrocution were responsible for 2.6% each.
Meanwhile, the PMD warned that monsoon activity is expected to intensify across much of the country from July 18, with widespread rain, windstorms and thunderstorms forecast until July 25, increasing the risk of flash floods, urban flooding and landslides.
The PMD said windstorms and lightning “could damage weak structures (solar panels, electric poles, billboards, etc.)” during the forecast period. It also warned that landslides could occur in vulnerable areas of Upper KP, Murree, Galiyat and Kashmir, while flash floods are likely to occur in local streams and nullahs across KP, North East Punjab, Islamabad, GB, Dera Ghazi Khan hill torrents and North East Balochistan during periods of heavy rainfall.
Read more: Rain-related incidents kill nine, injure 28 in KP, Punjab
Last year’s monsoon season caused widespread devastation across Pakistan, claiming more than 1,000 lives and causing damage estimated at 822 billion rupees (about $2.9 billion), according to a government assessment. According to Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, the agricultural sector suffered the largest losses, estimated at Rs 430 billion, while damage to infrastructure amounted to Rs 307 billion.
More than 312,000 homes were affected across the country, of which Punjab accounts for the vast majority. The floods also damaged 2,811 kilometers of roads, more than 2,200 educational institutions and 250 health facilities, while 866 water supply systems were affected.
The disaster also dealt a heavy blow to the agricultural sector, killing more than 2,200 cattle and destroying millions of tons of crops, including cotton, rice and sugar cane.
This is unprecedented. The 2022 floods caused economic losses worth $30 billion and required $16.3 billion for reconstruction. A World Bank assessment found that 82% of the losses were agricultural, affecting 4.4 million acres of agricultural land and 800,000 livestock. Sindh was the worst affected then, accounting for almost 70% of the damage, while Balochistan and KP also suffered deeply.
