ABBOTTABAD: Half of the Abbottabad city including the main Mansehra road and other link roads drowned owing to the continuous heavy rainfall for five hours across the city.

Flash floods entered several localities of Abbottabad including Bilal Town, Shahzaman colony, Hasan Town, areas surrounding PMA road, Kaghan Colony, some parts of Mandian, Supply and Jhangi, these areas have submerged completely under 2 – 4 feet of floodwater.

Ayub Bridge Havelian which is connecting Havelian with the upper parts of the country also damaged by the flooded River Door while another small bridge on the same place was providing connectivity to Malla Waziran and dozens of other villages to Havelian city completely destroyed.

National Highways Authority (NHA) officials immediately reached the spot and while talking action closed the bridge for all sorts of vehicular traffic.

Continuous heavy downpour coupled with the thunderstorm also stuck life in Abbottabad city and the surrounding area, main Mansehra road and Murree Road were converted into a pool where hundreds of vehicles were trapped on each side.

The flash flood triggered by the unprecedented heavy rain entered in the houses at several places of Abbottabad city on Sunday night.

People were also stuck in their houses as Mansehra road, Murree road and streets of Abbottabad, Sir Syed Colony, Mandian, Jinnah Abad, Al-Badar colony and adjoining areas were blocked by the flash flood for hours.

Unprecedented heavy downpour in Abbottabad city badly damaged the drainage system and roads of the city area. Unfortunately due to the corruption factor of Tehsil Municipal Administration Abbottabad and Cantonment Board Abbottabad officials natural draining system of Abbottabad (Nullah and Kassi) which was very effective has been encroached by the land grabbers and now after heavy rainwater flows on the streets and roads and usually enters the surrounding buildings.

Roofs and walls of dozens of houses have collapsed at various places in Abbottabad while landslide in several areas has severely affected many villages. The situation has become dangerous as safety walls of the roads have collapsed due to landslides in the surrounding areas of the city.