SWABI, Sept 9: Heavy rain accompanied by windstorm in Swabi district on Friday left three houses and a poultry farm destroyed and most of the city roads and streets impassable to travel or pass through.

Officials said that the main line supplying electricity from Tarbela Dam to Topi caught fire near the GIK Institute on Topi-Tarbela road, resulting in suspension of power supply to Topi city and its suburbs.

Officials said that the rainwater inundated the poultry farm near Muslimabad (Sharki), which collapsed, killing 35,000 small birds and 2,000 chickens. All the poultry-related materials such as feed were also destroyed.

The farm owner Jehan Zeb Khan said that the rainwater had washed away his business completely. Asked about the damage, he said after the rain it seemed he had no poultry farm, as it was no more there.

Three houses, one each in Matoona, Botaka and Zako mohallah, near the civil hospital in Topi city also collapsed due to the rain. However, no casualty was reported.

The area near Tipu Sultan Colony and roads of the residential colonies of Tarbela Dam were also inundated by rainwater.

Besides, the rainwater entered the basement of the administration block of Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology, which was drained out with the help of water pumps.

The rain also damaged standing crops and vegetables in some areas and caused suspension of electricity supply for several hours in various localities. Farmers said that the maize and sugarcane crops were badly damaged.

All the links roads, markets, the main road in the Topi bazaar and the area near the police station were submerged by rainwater. People said that the main reason for the mess was the faulty drainage system.

Both the Topi bypass and main bazaar road remained closed for all kind of traffic for hours and the chocked drains could not absorb the overflowing rainwater, exposing the inefficiency of the local municipal authorities.

Attendance in public and private offices and educational institutions also remained thin. “In our seventh class out only 30 of 50 students were present and they also reached very late to the school,” said Faheen Khan, a student of a local government school.

Sumayya Khan, a student of sixth class of a private school said: “Only 18 students could make it to the class and 13 were absent due to rain. A special vehicle was sent to pick the teachers.”