BANNU (Salman Ali Khan): A wave of torrential rains, lightning, and thunder has gripped Bannu for the past two days, triggering multiple roof collapse incidents that have left at least five people dead and dozens injured.
The district administration has declared an emergency across the city and established an Emergency Control Cell to coordinate relief efforts as intermittent heavy rain continues to lash the region.
Tragedy struck the Akhundan Mamakhel area, within the jurisdiction of the Hoveed police station, when the roof of a house belonging to a man named Sher Wali collapsed.
The disaster buried his three sons under the rubble. Disaster Management and Medical Teams from Rescue 1122 reached the site immediately, pulling the children from the debris and shifting them to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital.
Officials confirmed that two brothers, identified as Abu Sufyan and Wajahatullah, sons of Sher Wali Khan, lost their lives, while a third brother, Abu Zar, sustained injuries.
In a separate rain-related incident within the Saddar police station limits, the roof of a house in Kotka Ghulam Qadir collapsed, resulting in two deaths and over 30 injuries. Another fatality was reported at 2:00 AM in a different roof collapse incident, where one person died and another was injured; authorities are currently identifying these victims, who are also reported to be brothers.
With heavy rain continuing since the afternoon, an emergency has been imposed in all three major hospitals in Bannu to handle the influx of casualties. Rescue 1122 staff remain fully functional and on high alert. The district administration has expressed grave concerns for residents in slums and various villages across the district, where further damage is feared as the severe weather persists.
