Rains wreak havoc in Pakistan; 14 killed, 19 injured

Islamabad: At least 14 people were killed and 19 others injured as torrential rains wreaked havoc in Pakistan`s Punjab and northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, officials said.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said in a statement Wednesday that the heavy downpour started hitting the country on Tuesday and continued into Wednesday.

The authority said that Punjab was worst hit by the rains where 12 people were killed, 17 others injured and one house was washed away by the rainwater. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, two people were killed and two others injured as heavy rains kept on lashing various areas of the province over the last two days.

The official report revealed that most of the casualties happened due to roof collapse incidents and electrocution.

While officials said that the rain-triggered accidents left 14 people killed in Pakistan, local media reports said that the death toll has already hit 19 in Punjab province alone.

The NDMA said that several low-lying areas have been inundated by the rains as water ponding at different areas of Punjab was reported and rescue work is underway to clear the standing water by the provincial disaster management authority.

The authority said the current wet spell is expected to subside from Thursday.