Peshawar (Pakistan) August 31 : The ongoing incessant monsoon rains in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have resulted in the deaths of at least 88 people since July 1, the News International reported citing a report by Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).
According to PDMA authorities, the heavy rainfall has led to widespread destruction in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with the fatalities including 43 children, 26 men, and 19 women.
Additionally, since last month, extreme weather has resulted in injuries to at least 129 people, including 61 children, 39 men, and 29 women. The rains have also damaged a total of 958 houses, out of this, 260 houses were destroyed and 698 suffered partial damage.
These figures were reported following a tragic landslide in the Upper Dir district that claimed the lives of 12 family members, including nine children. The incident occurred in the Maidan area of Upper Dir during the early hours of Friday, as reported by the police.
The continuous rainfall also disrupted tourist activities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with dozens of visitors stranded in Kumrat Valley, Upper Dir district, The News International reported.
Shahid Ali, the Assistant Commissioner and Focal Person, informed Geo News that tourists have been confined to their hotel rooms for three days. Efforts are underway to evacuate them safely.
Ali also mentioned that around 50-70 tourists have been directed to move to Jaaz Banda. Rehabilitation work on the Dir-Kumrat highway at Barikot has started, and the government is supplying food and drinking water to those trapped.
The heavy monsoon rains affecting Pakistan are expected to continue, with the Pakistan Meteorological Department predicting widespread rain and windstorms across the country in the coming days.
The Met Office's statement on Friday indicated that heavy rainfall is anticipated in Sindh, northeast and southern Balochistan, northeast and central Punjab, the Potohar region, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Pakistan-occupied Gilgit Baltistan within the next 24 hours. This weather pattern may also cause landslides in areas such as Murree, Galliyat, Mansehra, Kohistan, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Buner.
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