KP govt announces Mourning day across province tomorrow

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government on Friday announced a day of mourning as torrential flash floods took at least 229 lives throughout the province.

While conducting the relief operation, the KP government’s MI-17 helicopter carrying relief materials to Salarzai in Bajaur crashed. All five crew members on board attained martyrdom in the crash.

Bearing deep regret over their loss, KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur came forward with deep sympathies to the martyrs’ families. He stated that the nation was with them in their pain and would never forget the sacrifices of its heroic sons.

The Chief Minister declared that the provincial flag would be hoisted at half-mast and the martyrs would be buried with full state honors. He asked God to grant them promotion in their ranks and forbearance for their bereaved families.

“The helicopter crew laid down their lives to save others. They are our real heroes, and their sacrifices will be remembered in golden words in history,” Gandapur said.

Earlier today, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said that flash floods and heavy rains in the last 24 hours have killed 229 people and left 14 others injured in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The PDMA reports that two women and eight children were among the dead, while the injured total 11 men, two women, and one child.

According to the PDMA report, 30 houses were damaged altogether, with 25 partially damaged and five utterly destroyed.

There were fatal incidents in Bunner, Swat, Bajaur, Torghar, Mansehra, Shangla, and Battagram, and Bajaur and Battagram were found to be the most affected districts.