At least 20 injured as violent storm damages homes, buildings in KP's Bannu

BANNU: At least 20 people, including women and children, were injured after powerful winds and a severe storm swept across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district on Tuesday, causing the roofs and walls of houses, shops and other structures to collapse. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) had earlier said in an advisory that dust storms and thunderstorms were expected in the upper parts of the country from June 2 to June 5. According to Rescue 1122 Bannu, multiple reports emerged of structures collapsing in different parts of the district as strong winds battered residential and commercial areas. The injured were trapped under debris and were immediately rescued by emergency teams. Rescue 1122 personnel promptly launched relief operations, evacuating victims from the affected sites and shifting them to District Headquarters Hospital Bannu for medical treatment. Emergency responders also provided first aid at the scene before transporting the injured to the hospital. Officials said Rescue 1122 teams remained active throughout the emergency, responding to reports from various localities. Authorities are continuing to assess the damage and gather information on additional casualties and affected families. Rescue 1122 stated that all emergency teams have been placed on high alert to deal with any further incidents arising from adverse weather conditions. The rescue and relief operations are being personally supervised by District Emergency Officer Bannu Bakhtullah Wazir, in line with directives from Director General Rescue 1122 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Shah Fahad and Director Operations South Arif Khattak. Officials also have urged citizens to avoid unnecessary travel during severe weather, stay away from weak and dilapidated structures, and immediately contact Rescue 1122 in case of any emergency. The storm caused widespread disruption in several parts of the district. In March, building collapses were reported in Bannu due to torrential rainfall, which claimed eight lives. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) reported a total of eight deaths and 42 injuries in the district due to rain-related building collapses. The death toll included one woman and seven children.