Torrential rains, flash flood paralyse Pakistan border district

ISLAMABAD: Two people have been killed in flash floods triggered by seasonal monsoon rains that have paralysed Pakistan's northern mountainous Chitral district as authorities struggled to provide relief to people in remote areas.

Located in northwestern province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and bordering Afghanistan, Chitral received heavy rains during the weekend and afterwards.

Mehmud Wazir, commissioner in Malakand region of which Chitral is a part, said that at least two people were killed due to floods and about 160 houses destroyed.

The floods had affected the infrastructure of the district as more than 38 roads and 14 bridges have been swept away, cutting off several areas from the district.

Chitral was also cut off from the rest of the country as the only main road has been closed due to rains.

The army has been called in and helicopters are being used to ferry food and water to the people.

There are reports of shortage of clean drinking water as several water-supply schemes have been swept away.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has asked officials to provide relief to the region and open up the main road linking it with the country.

His office said that Sharif intends to visit Chitral today but is stuck in Lahore due to bad weather.

Meanwhile, there are also reports of heavy rains and flood in Gilgit-Baltistan region in PoK where authorities are on high alert to deal with any emergency.

There were also flooding in Dera Ghazi Khan district of Punjab where several villages have been inundated and locals struggled to shift to safer places. There was no immediate reports of any loss of life.