Farid Shinwari
PESHAWAR: Following the torrential rain in parts of the province, at least three people among them two minor girls have been died in while three houses have also been collapsed in Karak, Peshawar and Hangu district.
The information shared by the spokesman of provincial disaster management authority (PDMA) on Monday said that the deaths of a female and two minor girls occurred in Maidani Kalli of Hangu district after a room of a house collapsed. Resultantly, Minhas Bibi wife of Zeenatullah and two children Mozama and Madina also died of a same family.
Similarly, a room of a house collapsed in Loghar Chani area of Karak district where no casaulty was reported. As a veranda of the house falls down in Pandu chowk of Peshawar and resultantly Abdullah wounded, said PDMA spokesman. He further informed that Rescue 1122 officials rushed to the site and shifted the injured person to Lady Reading Hospital (LRH).
He stated that the deaths and injuries have taken place owing to rooms being collapsed following the torrential rains in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The officials of district administration in abovementioned districts have been alerted and are all set to carry out relief and rescue operations to facilitate affected people.
Meanwhile, Because of the poor drainage system and construction work on bus rapid transit (BRT) project, most of the roads and streets in provincial city submerged that caused severe traffic jam and confined people to their houses.
As per details, the rains almost caused severe blockade at main points including GT Road, Sorai Pul, Hashtangari, Firdaus, Lahori, Saddar, Sher Shah Soori Road, Gulbahar, University Road and other areas came under rainwater. Though the weather turned into pleasant in provincial metropolitan when rain occurred.
The rain in city exposed the efficiency and claims of Water Sanitation and Services Peshawar (WSSP) as the rainwater chocked the drains in most parts of city. Motorists and public transport jammed at Soori Pul at Khyber Road, University Road, GT Road, Charsadda Road and a long queue of vehicles was observed on these roads.
However, drains water also came on roads at main points and caused impediment in smooth flow of traffic.
A resident of Hashtangari area, Salim Khan told that I did not reach to destination on time due to rainwater on road at Khyber Road and that flowing of water wasted my time. I was going to University Road in public transport but the severe traffic jam and rainwater on road troubled the pedestrians and commuters, he added.
The provincial government did not pay heed to this issue after it came twice into power in the province, he said and adding the public transport cannot play on the roads because of about more than one feet water.
Hamayun Khan of Saddar bazaar was of the view that there was no public transport on road and beside; rainwater came on road as well. I came by a taxi to my office in University Town and witnessed rainwater on University Road, causing blockage of road as well, he added.
It took more than an hour to reach my office due to unstopped rain and rainwater on roads creating severe traffic mess as well, Khan added. I did not witness any activities on the roads by concerned quarters to give passage to rainwater and open roads for commuters and public transport, he stated.
