PESHAWAR/LANDI KOTAL: Death toll from rainstorm on Friday surged to 13 in the provincial capital with 40 people suffering injuries. The storm during which winds blew at the speed of 90 kilometres per hour also destroyed two power pylons and suspended electric supply from 213 of the total of 250 local feeders.

Several localities had been without electricity for 24 hours.

The rainstorm lashed the city for the second time in the week.

On August 15, the storm had killed 18 people and injured 82.

An official said power supply from 500kv Sheikh Mohammadi grid station had been suspended after the rainstorm damaged two pylons of the National Transmission and Despatch Company.

He said power supply from 220kv Daudkhel transmission line had been suspended when two power pylons of 500kv transmission line supplying electricity from Tarbela power generation house to Sheikh Mohammadi grid station fell on 220kv line.

Another official said repairs on power transmission lines would take time as it was not possible to shift heavy cranes from Islamabad to Peshawar due to blockade of roads.

He said the cranes would be brought in from Rawat and Sheikhupura.

The official said repairs could take more than one week due to logistic problems.

He said strong winds uprooted big trees, huge billboards and poles in urban and rural areas of the city making it difficult for workers of the power supply company to restore electricity.

Rainstorm death toll reaches 13

The Met Office said speed of the windstorm was 90 kilometers per hour and the city had received 16 millimeters rain.

Deputy commissioner of Peshawar Zaheerul Islam said the disaster had killed 13 people including women and children and wounded 54 others which also caused damages to residential houses and infrastructure.

He said the rain-affected families would get cash relief as per government compensation policy.

Three members of a family died when house collapsed in Karkhano area. Wounded persons were brought to Lady Reading Hospital and Hayatabad Medical Complex.

An official of Peshawar Electric Supply Company said on Friday windstorm had caused significant damages to the system and extent of the losses had not been assessed so far.

He said repairs was still in progress in various areas and electricity shortfall had increased due to suspension of power supply from Sheikh Mohammadi grid station.

The official said the calamity had disrupted electricity supply in urban and rural areas including Hayatabad Township, Industrial Estate, University Town, Regi and Achini and many localities were still without power.

Meanwhile, power suspension has caused shortage of drinking water in the city.

Waseem of Hayatabad said there was acute shortage of drinking water in his area and that the people had to spend nights in the open due to humid weather.

He said rainstorm had uprooted many trees and electricity poles in the town and surrounding areas. Workers of the civic the bodies were seen removing uprooted trees, broken branches and signboards from the streets and roads.

RAIN CLAIMS TWO LIVES: Two women were killed and five children were injured when the roof of a house caved in and boundary wall of another fell down in Akkakhel area of Bara tehsil.

Local residents said wife of Noor Mohammad was killed and two of their children were injured when the roof of their house collapsed due to torrential rains in Sultankhel locality.

In another incident, wife of Haji Rahim Jan was killed and three children of Haji Mughal Jan were critically injured when the boundary wall of their house fell on them as they were playing there.

Electric supply to entire Landi Kotal tehsil was cut off when strong winds uprooted three power pylons in Sur Kamar area.

The power suspension also caused acute water shortage in Landi Kotal and surrounding areas.

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2014