PAKISTAN- Eight individuals, predominantly children, lost their lives, and twelve others sustained injuries due to intense rainfall in Pakistan’s northwest, as per an official statement on Saturday.
The torrential downpours, spanning various districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, led to structural collapses, tragically entrapping occupants within, reported Anwar Shahzad, spokesperson for the local disaster management authority.
Shahzad revealed that among the deceased were three siblings aged between 3 and 7, all from a single family. These casualties transpired within the last 24 hours, he further informed.
This year, Pakistan faced a delayed onset of winter rains, commencing in February instead of the usual November timeframe. Monsoon and winter precipitations routinely inflict damage in Pakistan annually.
Just earlier this month, approximately 30 individuals perished in rain-related incidents in the northwest region.
Meanwhile, across the border in Afghanistan, heavy rainfall on March 29th and 30th destroyed over 1,500 acres of agricultural land, along with severe devastation to hundreds of residences and critical infrastructure such as bridges and roads across seven provinces, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, as reported on Saturday.
The most severely impacted provinces include northern Faryab, eastern Nangarhar, and central Daikundi.
This marks the third occurrence of flooding in the northern region within a month, resulting in seven fatalities and affecting 384 families due to heavy rains, the U.N. agency noted.
