PESHAWAR: A destructive wave of torrential rains, flash floods, lightning strikes, and severe windstorms over the past 24 hours has left at least three people dead and 37 others injured across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), the deceased include two children and a woman, while the storm caused varying degrees of damage to at least 34 houses across the province.
The severe weather system severely hit multiple districts, including Khyber, Lower Dir, Mardan, Shangla, Bajaur, Upper and Lower Chitral, and Upper Dir, triggering structural collapses and cutting off critical road networks.
Also Read: Flash Floods Claim Lives as Rescue System Collapses in Swat
Lightning Strikes Madrasa and Homes
In the Bara Zakha Khel area of Khyber district, a direct lightning strike killed two children and left three others injured.
Meanwhile, a separate lightning strike in Upper Dir caused mass casualties in the Asori Darra area near Wari. The lightning struck a girls’ madrasa (Madrasa Lil-Banat), injuring 28 female students. The storm also unleashed flash floods that swept through the markets of Wari and Akhagram, damaging local shops and suspending traffic on the main Kumrat Road and several rural link roads.
Also Read: Govt Finalizes Strategy to Combat Monsoon Flood Risks
Cloudbursts in Chitral and Infrastructure Damage
In Lower Chitral, sudden cloudbursts and unrelenting rain caused widespread devastation in the villages of Ayun, Drosh, and Broz. The heavy downpour triggered high-level flooding in local streams, completely destroying dozens of homes in vulnerable settlements like Goldah Seen, Korom, Moroi, and Osiak. The flash floods also martyred two local mosques.
The storm also brought destructive winds to other districts:
- Nowshera: High-velocity winds uprooted numerous trees, damaged residential roofs, and blew away massive solar panel installations at a local CNG station. A woman was injured in Bara Banda when an uprooted tree fell on her.
- Timergara: Strong winds caused wall collapses in surrounding areas, resulting in five injuries.
- Swat: High-level flooding began across various seasonal streams as the monsoon system firmly took hold of the valley.
Also Read: When the Floods Came, Fake News Followed
Tragic Fatalities in Neighboring Attock
The deadly weather system also crossed into northern Punjab, causing fatal accidents in the Attock district. In Dhok Balm near Buta village, a mud wall collapsed during heavy rain, burying five children; two brothers died on the spot while three others sustained injuries.
In a separate incident in Sheen Bagh Kalan village, a roof collapse killed a 38-year-old woman and injured her two sons.
Rescue teams and local authorities remain on high alert across KP as administrative bodies work to clear blocked link roads and restore power infrastructure damaged by uprooted trees and windstorms.
