Flash floods, heavy rains kill 22, injure 23 in  Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since July 19

PESHAWAR , Jul 23 (APP):At least 22 people have been killed and 23 others injured in  northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province since July 19 as heavy monsoon rains and flash floods triggered house collapses and swept away people, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said on Thursday.

According to the PDMA, the death toll included nine men, 10 children and three women, while the injured comprised 11 men, five women and seven children.

The severe weather also damaged 37 houses across the province, with 29 sustaining partial damage and eight completely destroyed.

The affected districts included Peshawar, Nowshera, Khyber, Mardan, Buner, Bajaur, Shangla, Swabi, Lower Chitral, Lower and Upper Dir, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Haripur, Tank, Tor Ghar, Kurram, and North and South Waziristan.

The PDMA said it was coordinating relief efforts with Rescue 1122, the district administrations and other relevant agencies, adding that emergency assistance was continuing in the affected areas.

The district authorities have been directed to expedite relief operations and ensure the prompt delivery of aid to victims.

The authority said water levels and flows in the province’s major rivers and streams remained within normal limits despite the rainfall.

The intermittent heavy rain is expected to continue through Thursday, prompting authorities to keep district administrations on alert.

The PDMA urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel, stay away from vulnerable tourist destinations, and follow official weather advisories.

It said its Emergency Operations Centre remained fully operational, and the public could obtain weather updates or report emergencies through the toll-free helpline 1700.