The death toll from rain-related incidents during the ongoing monsoon spell and flash floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has climbed to 18, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority said Wednesday.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department, the current spell, which began on July 19, is expected to continue through July 23 across the province.
The latest fatalities were reported from Upper South Waziristan, where four members of the same family, a couple and their son and daughter, were killed when their roof collapsed during heavy rainfall in Bangiwala village, on the outskirts of Sararogha tehsil, according to Additional Deputy Commissioner Fazal Wadood.
A PDMA report released Wednesday morning said 18 people had died and 19 had been injured in rain-related incidents across the province since July 19. The same report recorded 23 houses partially damaged and seven destroyed, along with the deaths of 13 cattle over the four-day period.
In a separate statement, the KP PDMA said water levels and flows in all rivers and streams across the province remained normal for now, though all district administrations have been directed to stay on alert. The authority also shared a helpline, 1700, for weather updates or emergencies.
Landslides Cut Off Wana-Gomal Zam Road
Heavy rains have also disrupted life in Lower South Waziristan, where landslides have blocked the Wana-Gomal Zam Road, one of the region’s most important trade and communication routes. Flash floods have separately damaged agricultural land in several areas.
The road, already in poor condition since February and described by residents as barely usable even before the monsoon season began, has now suffered further damage. A district administration official confirmed the blockage to Dawn on Wednesday. Residents and commuters said large boulders had fallen at several points along the route, deep potholes had formed, and multiple culverts, bridges, and protection walls had been damaged, making travel difficult and dangerous.
Lower South Waziristan Communication and Works Engineer Ikram Wazir said an operation to clear the road using tractors was already underway, with restoration work in progress and the route expected to reopen for traffic by Thursday.
Tribal elders from the Ahmadzai Wazir community urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other authorities to take immediate steps toward permanently reconstructing the road, noting that it has long been prone to closure even after moderate rainfall due to its deteriorated condition.
District officials also reported high flows in the Tanai and Spin streams in Lower South Waziristan following the rains.
Government Reviews Monsoon Preparedness
Separately, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said he chaired the third meeting of the Emergency Response Committee at the National Emergencies Operations Centre on Wednesday to assess the country’s preparedness for the monsoon season. The meeting, attended by NDMA Chairman Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik and representatives from relevant federal ministries, reviewed provincial readiness, relief supplies, and drainage systems.
Iqbal said the NEOC is monitoring weather conditions around the clock and that he has instructed all departments, including the Water and Power Development Authority, to remain on high alert. “Our utmost priority is to protect the life of every citizen, safeguard vulnerable areas, and ensure swift relief operations in any emergency situation,” he said.
