At least 47 killed in rain-related incidents

ISLAMABAD: At least 47 people have been killed and more than 30  others injured as a result of torrential rains and land sliding in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. According to Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 10 people were killed in Shangla, 4 Swat, 12 Kohistan, 2 each in Bannu, Batagram and Mardan while one each in Malakand, Upper Dir, Mansehra, Chitral and Charsadda. The PDMA has dispatched relief goods, including two hundred tents each to Swat, Shangla, Upper Dir, Lower Dir, and Kohistan districts. A number of houses were also damaged and bridges swept away by flood water in different parts of the province. Heavy rain and hailstorm lashed Loralai city and its outskirts. The torrential rain caused serious losses to orchards and other standing crops. Reports of land sliding have also been received from Neelam valley of Azad Kashmir. Eight persons of the same family were killed in Sharda when their house collapsed due to land sliding. Four members of a family have also been killed and three others injured in Chilas when roof of their house collapsed in Jichen. The communication link has been disconnected due to torrential rain in Gilgit-Baltistan. Weather Report Synoptic Situation: A westerly wave is affecting western and upper parts of the country and likely to persist next 24 hours. Weather next 24 hrs: Widespread rain-thundershower accompanied by strong gusty winds with isolated heavy falls and snowfall over the hills is expected in Malakand, Hazara divisions, Islamabad, FATA, Gilgit-Baltistan & Kashmir. Scattered rain-thundershower accompanied with strong gusty winds is expected KP (Peshawar, Mardan, Bannu, Kohat, D.I.Khan divisions), upper Punjab (Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Gujranwala divisions) and isolated rain-thundershower with strong gusty winds/dust raising winds expected in D.G.Khan, Multan, Sahiwal, Faisalabad, Lahore, Quetta , Zhob Kalat, Sibbi divisions. Next 48 hrs: Mainly dry weather is expected in most parts of the country, however rain thunderstorm is expected at isolated places in Malakand, Hazara, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala divisions, Islamabad, Upper Fata, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir. Weather Warning: Widespread rain/thundershowers with isolated heavy falls expected in upper KP (Dir, Swat, Shangla, Kohistan, Batagram, Mansehra districts), GB (Gilgit, Ghizer, Diamer & Astore districts) & Kashmir (Neelam Valley & Muzaffarabad districts) on Sunday. Heavy downpours may trigger landslides in the vulnerable areas during the period. Heavy downpours may also generate isolated flash flooding in the local ravines and streams of the above mentioned areas on Sunday. Past Weather: Widespread Rain-thunderstorm occurred at upper KP, FATA, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, while  at isolated paces in upper Punjab , upper Balochistan and southern KP. Rainfall (mm): KP: malmjaba 115, Pattan 94, Saidu Sharif 68, Dir 64, Kalam, Parchinar62, Peshawar city 38, Lower Dir 36, Chitral 34, Peshawar A/P 32, Balakot 26, Drosh 17, Mirkhani15, Cherat, Risalpur 03, Kohat, Kakul 01. Gilgit-Baltistan:  chilas 48, Astore 35, Gilgit 31, Bunji 13, Gupis 09, Skardu 03. Kashmir: , Muzaffarabad 10, Rawalakot 09, Garhi Dupatta 07, Kotli 01, Punjab: Murree 10, Sialkot city 02. Today's Highest Maximum Temperatures: Shaheed Benazirabad 43°C, Padidan, Bhawalnagar 40°C, R.Y.khan, Sukkur, Moenjodaro, Dadu, Bahawalpur, Chhor, Larkana 39°C. – Samaa/APP