Rain, windstorms wreak havoc as NDMA issues landslide alert
Why this matters: local context for readers following news across Pakistan and the region.
Rain, gusty winds and hailstorms swept through Islamabad and several parts of Pakistan on Tuesday night, bringing relief from the intense heatwave gripping many regions. The severe weather triggered multiple incidents in the federal capital and across parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab. Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) issued a landslide alert for mountainous areas from Wednesday through June 6, warning that ongoing rainfall and melting glaciers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa could heighten the risk of landslides. The authority said Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Kohistan, Battagram, Mansehra, Abbottabad and Haripur are at high risk of landslides. Meanwhile, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Punjab issued a weather advisory for most districts of the province until June 5, warning of rain, windstorms and isolated hailstorms. The KP PDMA said two people were killed and 31 others injured in weather-related incidents caused by lightning strikes and collapsing walls and roofs during storms and heavy rain. The incidents were reported from several districts, including Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera and Bannu. In a tragic incident in Koza Alpuri, Rahimabad, a room in a house collapsed late Monday night, trapping seven children under the debris, Rescue 1122 officials said. Rescue teams from Shangla recovered all the children from the rubble. Six children lost their lives, while one girl was rescued alive and shifted to the hospital after receiving medical treatment. In Bannu, severe weather and strong winds caused three separate incidents of collapsing walls and buildings, leaving five people injured. Rescue officials said more than 20 people have been injured in weather-related incidents across Bannu so far. All injured were provided medical assistance and shifted to hospitals, and officials said they are out of danger. In Mardan, a flex banner mounted on a petrol pump signboard at Shergarh Shago Naka caught fire after touching electricity