Pakistan rains: 9 killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Due to heavy downpours in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, at least nine people have died in rain-related incidents, and the province's Lower and Upper Chitral districts have been declared in an emergency till August 15, according to Dawn.

Dawn is a Pakistan-based English language daily.

On Saturday, portions of the province were hit by thunderstorms, strong winds, and heavy rain that caused landslides and destroyed infrastructure.

The district saw "large-scale devastation" as a result of sporadic rain that persisted throughout the day. In Chitral, the rainfall also brought forth flash floods that destroyed cattle, roads, and bridges, Dawn reported.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department predicted that rain will likely fall in a number of regions of the nation through July 26.

According to the most recent report from KP's Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), out of the nine people who lost their lives to heavy rains, included two in Swat, two in Battagram, four in Mansehra, and one in Buner. According to the report, seven people sustained injuries had been hurt.

The PDMA said nine houses had been fully damaged while 67 were partially damaged.

The relief agency and the district administration were instructed to remain on "high alert" by KP Interim Chief Minister Mohammad Azam Khan. He instructed officials to start relief and rescue operations right away and to make sure that the affected people received aid, reported Dawn.

Separately, a notification issued by the Relief, Rehabilitation and Settlement Department said that the deputy commissioners of both districts had requested for an “emergency” to be declared in order to enable them to “launch immediate rescue and relief activities”.