At least six people were killed and two others injured after monsoon rains triggered flash floods and a house collapse in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, rescue officials said.
The deaths occurred across two separate incidents in Khyber and Mardan districts.
How many people were killed in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa floods?
Four people died in Khyber district after a passenger van was swept away by a flash flood, and two more were killed when a house collapsed in Mardan district. Two children were also injured in the Mardan collapse and taken to hospital. The toll could rise as rescue operations continue.
In Landi Kotal tehsil, a passenger van carrying Afghan refugees was swept away by a flash flood, Bilal Ahmed Faizi, spokesperson for Rescue 1122 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, told Nukta. The victims included three Afghan refugees traveling from Nowshera to Afghanistan's Laghman province, identified as Nabaz Gul, Muhib Gul and a six-year-old child, along with Farhan, 20, a local resident of Landi Kotal. Rescue divers and local volunteers recovered the bodies of the two adults from the Jabba Khwar stream near Jamrud during a joint operation, while the child's body was later found near the Parang Sang area.
Where else did flash floods strike in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa?
In Sultan Khel, a vehicle carrying Afghan nationals was caught in floodwaters, but police rescued the driver and all passengers, including women and children, without injury. A separate car became stranded in flash floodwaters in the Khoga Khel area. Police and rescue teams evacuated all occupants safely, authorities said.
In Mardan district's Rustam area, heavy rains caused the roof of a house to collapse, killing two people and injuring two children, rescue officials told Nukta. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa borders Afghanistan and is among the Pakistani provinces most frequently hit by seasonal monsoon rains and flash floods.
What is Pakistan doing to respond to the flash floods?
Rescue 1122 Director General Shah Fahad has instructed district emergency officers, particularly in flood-prone areas, to remain on high alert. Rescue personnel, emergency vehicles, water rescue boats and specialized equipment have been deployed across the province under the monsoon contingency plan. Rescue 1122 has also launched public awareness campaigns urging residents to avoid unnecessary travel and stay away from rivers, streams and flood channels during heavy rainfall.
Pakistan's Meteorological Department has forecast strong winds, thunderstorms and heavy rainfall across parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through July 23. Authorities said the severe weather had already triggered flash floods in several areas of the province.
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