12 family members killed as landslide hits house in KP's Upper Dir

• Incident takes place in Maidan area of Upper Dir.
• 12 bodies sent to hospital for medico-legal formalities.
• Nine children, among 12, dead in incident, say police. 

UPPER DIR: At least 12 members of the same family, including nine children, were killed when a massive landslide hit a house in the Upper Dir district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

According to the police, the tragic incident took place in the Maidan area of Upper Dir in the wee hours of Friday. 

The law enforcers said all 12 bodies have been retrieved from the debris and sent to the hospital for medico-legal formalities. 

“Two women, one man and nine children were killed in the incident,” said the officials. 

President Asif Ali Zardari expressed his condolences to the family members of the deceased. 

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Adviser Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif expressed regret over the incident, saying he is deeply saddened by the deaths of 12 family members due to landsliding. 

"We are standing with the bereaved families in this difficult time of sorrow," said Barrister Saif while directing all authorities concerned including Rescue 1122 to remain on alert. 

The KP information adviser said an advisory has been issued regarding landslides and flooding in mountainous areas, adding that advance measures have been taken to reduce losses in natural calamities.

"People are requested to avoid going near rivers and streams," he said. 

Meanwhile, a road in Upper Dir's Kumrat was washed away due to rains and landsliding. Moreover, many tourists are stuck as the water is flowing through the road near the river bank. 

The development comes as Pakistan is hit by heavy monsoon rains with the Pakistan Meteorological Department forecasting more widespread rain with windstorm all across the country during the next 24 hours.

In a statement, the Met Office said heavy rainfall is likely in Sindh, northeast/south Balochistan, northeast/central Punjab, Potohar region, Islamabad, KP, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Kashmir during the said period.

Heavy rains, it added, may trigger landslides in Murree, Galliyat, Mansehra, Kohistan, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Buner, Kashmir and GB.