MUZAFFARABAD/GILGIT/BAJAUR: At least 26 people were killed as heavy rains triggered flash floods and landslides across Gilgit Baltistan, parts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) Bajaur district on Friday.
In KP’s Bajaur, at least nine people have died and four others were injured following severe flash floods and landslides in the Jabrrai and Salarzai areas.
According to rescue officials, the flooding was triggered by torrential rains, causing water to surge through villages, sweeping away homes and people.
A cloudburst in Bajaur’s Salarzai area has caused significant destruction, prompting immediate rescue and relief efforts.
On the directives of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, Deputy Commissioner Bajaur and district administration officials are present at the site to oversee the operation.
Rescue teams are actively working in the affected area, while the provincial government has also dispatched a helicopter to assist in relief activities.
The chief minister has ordered the use of all available resources for rescue and relief operations and instructed the commissioners of Malakand and Bajaur to personally monitor the situation.
CM Gandapur further directed the district administrations of Dir and Swat to remain on high alert in view of the prevailing weather conditions.
He asserted that pre-emptive safety measures must be ensured to protect lives and property, with continuous monitoring of rainfall and weather patterns in vulnerable districts.
The recent monsoon season has wreaked havoc across Pakistan, causing widespread flooding and landslides that claimed over 300 lives nationwide. –Agencies
