PESHAWAR: Forty-four people have lost their lives and over 200 others sustained injuries in structures collapse and other incidents triggered by windstorm coupled with heavy rains that lashed different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Gail wind and heavy downpour caused ceilings of a number of clay houses and walls to collapse, and trees and poles to fall in Noshehra, Akbarpura and other areas located in the outskirts of Peshawar.
Similar incidents were also reported in Charsadda road, Badho Sumar Bagh and Badhni areas.
The dead and injured, including women and children, have been shifted to the hospitals including Lady Reading Hospital, said rescue services.
Emergency was declared in all the hospitals in the affected areas of the province.
Rescue work is still underway in the affected areas. However, the rescue services faced difficulties due to the bucketing rains strong winds.
The affected areas plunged into darkness after a large number of pole mounted transmitters (PMTs) tripped as torrential rains and stormy winds wreaked havoc there.
Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department has forecast more heavy rains with windstorm for the next 24 hours in Malakand, Hazara and Peshawar.
Military help was also called out in the affected areas.