PESHAWAR – A vehicle transporting Afghan families back to their home country was carried away by a flash flood caused by rains in the Landi Kotal tehsil of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Khyber district on Monday, according to Rescue 1122.
Rescue personnel have recovered the bodies of three individuals traveling in the vehicle, the emergency service reported, noting that searches for the remaining occupants remained ongoing.
Rescue 1122 initially stated that the vehicle had been swept away near Sultan Khel Market, prompting the deployment of rescue teams to the scene and the launch of a search operation.
Later, Rescue 1122 reported that divers recovered the bodies of a woman and a man in Jamrud town, aided by local residents, and that a child’s body was later retrieved from the Parang Sang area.
The search also uncovered the body of a man identified as a resident of Jamrud.
In a separate incident, the roof of a room collapsed in Kalu Dheri village, Mardan, resulting in the deaths of two children, according to Rescue 1122.
The statement said the children’s mother and 14‑year‑old sister were injured in the collapse, and they were taken to Mardan Medical Complex Hospital for treatment.
Last week, the Pakistan Meteorological Department forecast widespread rains across the country for the current week, with showers expected in Khyber, Mardan, and several other KP regions between July 19 and July 23.
Emergency meeting
In response to the forecast, Shah Fahad, the Khyber chief of Rescue 1122, convened an emergency online meeting to assess the weather outlook and instructed district emergency officers to remain on high alert, according to the agency’s statement.
He then issued directives to ensure service delivery adhered to the approved comprehensive plans.
He said rescue personnel, emergency vehicles, rescue boats and specialised equipment were deployed across all districts for emergency response, and additional personnel and equipment were positioned at temporary water rescue points.
“Rescue 1122’s water rescue teams continuously patrol rivers, streams, nullahs and other waterways,” he said, adding that citizens were urged to avoid unnecessary travel, stay clear of rivers and rain‑fed waterways, and contact the 1122 helpline in emergencies.
He added that awareness of weather‑related risks, flash floods and precautionary measures was being broadcast via loudspeakers.
Meanwhile, the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) announced that a control room had been set up at its headquarters per directives from CEO Akhtar Hameed Khan, and operational teams were placed on high alert in anticipation of rain.
The utility advised consumers to stay clear of electricity poles, wires and transformers, avoid walking through water near electrical installations, refrain from handling electrical appliances with wet hands, and report any faults rather than attempting repairs themselves.
Houses, shops, roads damaged in AJK
Earlier, heavy rains completely destroyed two houses in Neelam district, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, on Sunday.
A report from the Neelam deputy commissioner’s office, released late Sunday, indicated that 16 houses were partially damaged by the rain, and that 44 shops, two vehicles and 13 motorcycles sustained damage.
Initial reports also indicated the destruction of 16 link bridges, 12 electricity poles, one mosque and the building of a private school.
Deputy Commissioner Chaudhry Iqbal Hassan told Dawn on Monday that relief supplies were being provided to the occupants of the two destroyed houses.
He added that a portion of a link road had been washed away by the floods, and cleanup operations were underway to remove debris.
The Met Office forecasts showers in several areas of AJK from July 18 to July 25.
