Islamabad -
At least 16 people were killed and hundreds trapped after flash floods swept through a valley in Pakistan's north-western region of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa early on Thursday, rescue officials said.
The floods, brought about by heavy overnight rain, washed away dozens of houses in the Gabriyal area of the remote mountainous district of Kohistan.
“We have received information from the local authorities that 16 people have died in the floods,” said Saima Jaan, a spokeswoman for the Provincial Disaster Management Authority.
Shamsur Rehman, a local police official, said that the death toll might increase since several people were missing. He said that locals reported that there were some bodies stuck in a stream. “Efforts are under way to recover those bodies,” he said.
“It's a remote and difficult area and the rescue teams are trying to reach Karang village through mountain treks,” Rehman said. “The village is surrounded by the water and has turned into an island.”
The district was also hit hard during last year's floods, which inundated almost one fifth of Pakistan's land, displaced 18 million people and killed more than 2 000. - Sapa-dpa