32 killed as heavy rains lash Pakistan, PoK

Peshawar/Islamabad: At least 32 people were killed and many went missing as heavy rains lashed several parts of Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir over the past 24 hours, officials said on Friday.

At least 16 people were killed and eight others injured as torrential rains on Thursday night triggered flash floods and landslides in multiple districts, including Lower Dir, Bajaur, and Abbottabad, of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, rescue officials said.

In Lower Dir's Maidan Sori Pao area, the roof of a house collapsed, killing five people and injuring four others, including women and children. Rescue workers retrieved seven people from the debris, five of whom were declared dead.

The water level in the Panjkora River has risen alarmingly due to continued rainfall, officials said.

In Bajaur district, flash floods and landslides in the Jabrari and Salarzai areas caused widespread destruction. Nine bodies and four injured individuals have been recovered so far, while at least 17 others are reported missing, according to local sources.

A cloudburst in Jabrari village triggered a massive flood, injuring several people. Rescue teams reached the site promptly, recovered five bodies, and shifted the injured to a local hospital after providing first aid.

Bajaur’s District Emergency Officer, Amjad Khan, is overseeing the ongoing rescue operations. Deputy Commissioner Shahid Ali confirmed that nine people were killed in the Salarzai incident, and two critically injured persons have been shifted to Khar Hospital.

In Mansehra, two people were killed and one was injured when a car was swept away by a swollen stream at Basyan point on the Kaghan Highway. Three others were rescued. Authorities have advised tourists to avoid unnecessary travel during the ongoing rains.

Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has directed the use of all available resources for rescue and relief efforts. The Commissioner of Malakand and Deputy Commissioner of Bajaur have been instructed to personally supervise the operations.

A helicopter has also been dispatched to aid in the rescue mission.

The CM has issued high alerts to district administrations, especially in Dir and Swat, urging them to ensure comprehensive precautionary measures to safeguard lives and property during the prevailing weather conditions.

Eight people died and two others went missing as flash floods hit Ghizer district in Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), officials said.

The floods damaged more than a dozen houses, several vehicles, schools, and health units, while blocking major arteries, including the Karakoram Highway and Baltistan Highway, at several points.

The northeastern Neelum Valley also faced major disruptions, where tourists were shifted to safety.

More than 600 tourists camping at the Ratti Gali lake base were advised to remain in place after the link road was damaged. The floods also washed away two connecting bridges over Lawat Nullah, and the swollen Jagran Nullah tore away a bridge in Kundal Shahi. A scenic riverside restaurant and at least three houses in the area were also swept away.

In the Jhelum Valley, a cloudburst over Palhot unleashed a flash flood that damaged part of the road and left dozens of vehicles stranded.

With the Neelum River rising rapidly, authorities issued a flood warning and plan to relocate vulnerable riverside families.

In PoK's Muzaffarabad district, a massive landslide in Sarli Sacha village hit a home, leaving six members of a family buried and feared dead. In Sudhnoti district, a 26-year-old man died after being swept away by a stream, while in Bagh district, a 57-year-old woman was killed when her home collapsed.