Over the past 10 days, more than 20 people have died as a result of rains in northern Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Many died as a result of heavy rain or flooding that caused roofs, walls or entire buildings to collapse. This is a common occurrence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where fragile or poor housing makes many communities vulnerable to harsh weather.
Heavy rain fell in the province from 11 to 12 July 2021. Saidu Sharif, the capital of Swat region, recorded 110 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours before July 12, while Kakul in Abbottabad region recorded 180 mm of rain over the same period, according to data provided by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province Disaster Management Authority (FDA).
During the period from 11 July to 15 July, 4 people died as buildings or roofs collapsed in the pouring rain in the Lower Dir, Abbottabad and Tank regions. Heavy rain also caused torrential flooding in the area of Dera Ismail Khan, where 1 person died, and a landslide in Lower Kokhistan, where 4 people were killed and 7 were injured.
After a short break from 18 July, heavy rain began again, causing flash floods in Upper Dir and Kohat, killing a total of 5 people. The rain also caused the wall to collapse in the Karak area, killing 2 people.
On 20 July, 3 people died as a result of flash floods in the Lower Dir and 1 as a result of flash floods in the Shangal area. Heavy rain caused roofs to collapse in Hohat (2 dead) and Kurram (1 dead).
