LAHORE: A child and five women were killed and six others injured due to heavy monsoon rains in various districts of Punjab during the last 24 hours.

A Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) report available with Dawn states that six people, including a child and five women, were killed while six others injured due to heavy rains in the province during the last 24 hours.

The report also revealed that 39 people died and 113 were injured due to the rains in the month of July while 61 houses were damaged and 39 animals were killed in the rainy season.

According to the report, maximum rain 81 mm was recorded in Chaklala, 64 TT Singh, 46 mm Okara, 44 mm Sargodha, 32 mm Attock, 30 mm Mandi Bahauddin, 26 mm Jhang, 23 mm Murree, 18.4 mm Khanpur, 15.6 Noorpur Thal, 13.8 mm Bahawalpur, 12.1 mm Mangla, 10.8 mm Chakwal, 10.2 mm Faisalabad, 8 mm Sahiwal, 4 mm Hafizabad, 1.3 mm Joharabad, 1 mm Khanewal, 1 mm Narowal, 0.2 mm Jhelum, and 0.01 mm in DG Khan, Kasur, Lahore, Multan, and Rahim Yar Khan during last 24 hours.

On Tuesday afternoon, heavy rain showers transformed the weather of Lahore and dissolved the heat and humidity.

The residents continued with their daily routines and flocked to shops for samosas and other snacks to enjoy with their evening tea despite waterlogged streets.

The Met Office had forecast rain for Tuesday, with humidity levels around 80 per cent and scattered clouds in the sky.

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The heavy rain saw motorcyclists and pedestrians scrambling for shelter, with many getting soaked before reaching cover. From 1:30pm to 3:00pm, the downpour turned many roads and streets in Lahore into waterlogged areas. While there were reports of water entering some low-lying houses, no serious accidents have been reported.

The heavy rain had closed several underpasses in the city and severely disrupted traffic on low-lying roads. The vegetable market also flooded, affecting the labourers working there.

The city continues to navigate the challenges of the monsoon season, with residents adapting to the wet weather while hoping for improved infrastructure to manage the heavy rains.

PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia said financial assistance will be ensured to the bereaved families.

He said there was loss of life and property due to the collapse of dilapidated buildings.

He requested the citizens to stay away from old and dilapidated buildings and avoid unnecessary travel in bad weather conditions.

He said moderate to high flood conditions may occur at Mangala in the Jhelum river from July 30 to August 4 and the flood situation may also occur at Marala, Khanki and Kadirabad in the Chenab.

He said there is a possibility of low to medium-level flooding in the Indus at Tarbela and in the hills, and monsoon rains are expected across Punjab in the next 24 hours.

He said the spell of monsoon rains is likely to continue till Aug 4.

Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2024