Torrential rain causes flooding in NW Pakistan. by Nina Ridge
Torrential rain across parts of Pakistan over the past few days has resulted in flash floods which killed 22 people and injured more than 60. Seven villages in the north west of the country were hit by flooding on Saturday, which washed away more than 120 homes and left around 500 people homeless.
The village of Bedara, 200km north of the capital, Islamabad was amongst the worst hit by flooding with more than 70 homes being washed away. A number of people were killed after becoming trapped or crushed underneath falling houses, while the heavy rain destroyed acres of valuable agricultural land.
Islamabad’s senior administrator official Syed Muhammad Javed attributed the disaster to the fact that many villagers had built their shelters on the bed of a seasonal stream which then overflowed. As the rain starts to ease, police and paramilitary troops are being deployed to the area to remove debris and aid those hundreds of people left homeless.
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