At least 14 people, including women and children, died in a cloudburst on Sunday morning due to heavy rains in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Hazara and Malakand divisions.
According to the area’s assistant commissioner Azhar Zahoor, most of the casualties were struck by lightning in a trio of houses located in a remote area called Jhatka within Judba tehsil in Torghar.
He said that the houses collapsed due to lightning, leaving 13 people trapped under the rubble. So far, a dozen bodies have been pulled out from the rubble till the rescue operation continues.
“I am personally supervising the rescue operation and the injured have been taken to the hospital and the roads have also been cleared for traffic. Facility will be provided to the affected families, and tents and food will be provided to them,” said the assistant commissioner.
Zahoor said a cattle pen was also damaged due to heavy rains, while a tractor slipped, killing its driver.
In addition, the rains led to landslides and road closures.
Meanwhile, the roof of a house collapsed in the Kakul area of Abbottabad and seven members of the same family were buried under the rubble. Rescue operations are on and three bodies have been pulled out of the rubble and two injured have been rescued.
According to Rescue 1122, the roof of the house collapsed due to heavy rain. The bodies and the injured were taken to Ayub Medical Complex in Abbottabad.