Hassan Abdal/Balakot:
Flash floods triggered by stormy rain in rural areas continued to cause destruction Wednesday when 10 people were swept away in a raised stream in Hassan Abdal, while authorities were fashioning heavy monsoon rainfall in Kaghan Valley to save 160 stranded passengers, officials said.
The tragedy hit Jhamy Kas, Hassan Abdal, when a vehicle carrying 10 people was swept away by a flash river in a local stream. Officials said that Rescue 1122 divers had recovered four bodies – all women from Wah Cantt – while the search continued after a missing child.
The deceased included three sisters: Kinza, Nazia and Sabira Bibi. The fourth victim was identified as Aiman Bibi. A four year old boy, Mustafa, remains missing. The search was temporarily suspended late at night, but was expected to resume early in the morning, according to the rescue authorities.
The original reports suggest that the family returned from a wedding ceremony when the incident took place. Their vehicle was caught in a suddenly strong water flow caused by recent heavy rain, which led to dangerous high -water levels in the stream.
In another tragic incident in the midst of the ongoing monsoon -rainfall, a mud house in Darveshabad, Balakot (Abbottabad district), collapsed that killed two girls. The locals pulled the girls from the rubble, but they succumbed to their injuries.
Further to the north, the Mansehra District Administration, Kaghan Development Authority (KDA) and National Highway Authority (NHA) worked overnight to save over 160 travelers and recover traffic between tourist seats in Jalkhad, Barwai and Besar.
Officials declared that tourists and gilgit-bound passengers were stranded after flash floods in local streams.
“The KDA, NHA and District Management staff worked in the middle of heavy rain and cleared the highway after 12 hours,” KDA-Official Moazzam Khan told the Express Pakinomist.
Balakot -assistant Commissioner Nadir Khan added that rescue 1122 staff waded through the flooded stream near Besar to reach those trapped in their vehicles. “All people were probably evacuated at night and moved to nearby hotels,” Khan said.
Rescue teams provided first aid to eight people suffering from minor injuries, physical exhaustion, hypoglycemia and vomiting. Fortunately, no serious losses were reported.
The ongoing heavy monsoon rains have created dangerous conditions in different tourist destinations, which increases the risk of road blockades, landslides and floods in low -lying and hilly areas. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) urged people to take care measures. (With input from app)
