30 killed as flash flood hits NW Pakistan

At least 30 people including women and children were killed, 35 injured and scores others went missing in flash flooding in Pakistan's northwest Chitral district, local media and officials said Sunday morning.


Mayor of Chitral district, Maghfirat Hussain, said that a mosque and as many as 30 houses were washed away by the flood water in Urshoon village of Chitral district, located in the country's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The incident happened on Saturday night when people were offering Ramazan prayers in the mosque that was completely destroyed in the flash flooding caused by the over flow of the Chitral river.

Urdu TV channel Express News said that 35 people were seriously injured in separate incidents of house collapse and 31 went missing in the flash flood in the village located near Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

Army, paramilitary troops and rescue teams from the provincial disaster management authority (P.D.M.A.) are taking part in the rescue operation.

The mayor said that the rescue teams are facing problems due to heavy rains, which have been lashing the district since last night.
 [Xinhua -china.org.cn]
3/7/16