PTA reports internet, mobile phone services outages in several KP areas after flash floods

• Communication lines were severed in several KP areas.
• Chitral, Upper Dir, Donbala, Swat, Mardan among affected.
• Rain and flood-related death toll jumps to 982.

KARACHI: Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Saturday reported a disruption in communication lines in several areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following persistent torrential rains and flash floods across the country.

In a statement today morning, the telecom regulator said flash floods have damaged optical fibre cable and led to power outages, due to which there is an "impact" on the services.

Services have been affected in Chitral, Upper Dir, Donbala, Swat, Mardan, Lal Qila Samarbaghdir, Tank, and Dera Ismail Khan.

"PTA is monitoring the situation closely. Work is underway to fully restore services," the telecommunication authority said.

Devastating flash floods have brought the lives of people across Pakistan to a standstill, with the rain and flood-related death toll jumping to 982, according to official statistics.

Hundreds of thousands of homes have been destroyed and scores have been displaced as the government appeals to international donors in its bid to provide relief to the people.