Twenty-four people were killed and 17 injured as monsoon rains swept across various parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from July 29 through Thursday, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).
Pakistan typically experiences its monsoon season from July to August, with an average rainfall of around 255mm per month. In 2022, monsoon rains caused extensive damage across the country, destroying over 75,000 homes and partially damaging 130,000 more in KP alone, according to government and international aid agencies.
A report released today by the KP PDMA indicated that heavy rainfall led to saturated flood basins, overflowing rivers, and overwhelmed natural drainage systems, resulting in widespread flooding.
Over the past three days, 24 people lost their lives across the province due to roof collapses and other rain-related incidents. The highest number of casualties occurred in Kohat, where 10 people, including six children, were killed.
“The district administration, along with Rescue 1122 and local volunteers, recovered the bodies,” the report stated. It added that non-food items (NFIs), including tents, mattresses, blankets, kitchen sets, and hygiene kits, were distributed to the affected families.
The most significant damage to infrastructure was reported in Upper Chitral, where 107 houses were fully or partially destroyed by flash floods triggered by heavy rain.
In total, 150 houses were damaged in KP over the three days: 77 were partially damaged and 73 were completely destroyed.
Flash floods and house collapses were also reported in Hangu, Haripur, Mansehra, Lower Dir, Charsadda, Mohmand, Bajaur, and Abbottabad. Additionally, landslides occurred in Abbottabad.
A PDMA weather warning has announced that a new series of monsoon showers is expected to begin in the province and continue intermittently until August 6.
The warning indicated that “scattered heavy to isolated very heavy falls are expected in Dir (Upper & Lower), Bajaur, Chitral (Upper & Lower), Swat, Buner, Malakand, Shangla, Kohistan (Lower & Upper), Torghar, Battagram, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, Swabi, Mardan, Charsadda, Nowshera, Mohmand, Peshawar, Khyber, Kohat, Hangu, Kurram, Orakzai, Karak, Lakki Marwat, South & North Waziristan, Bannu, Tank, and Dera Ismail Khan districts,” with “occasional gaps” in between.
The alert also warned that torrential rain could lead to “urban flooding in low-lying areas” and flash flooding in local streams in Galliyat, Mansehra, Kohistan, Chitral, Malakand, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Buner, Bannu, Kurram, North and South Waziristan, Orakzai, Khyber, Mohmand, Nowshera, Swabi, and DI Khan.
Landslides have also been predicted in the upper districts of the province. The PDMA, district administration, and relief teams are actively engaged in relief efforts, and tourists have been advised against traveling to the affected areas.
