Incessant rain claims three lives in Punjab
SAHIWAL, Aug 1: Three people lost their lives while 20 others injured in rain-related incidents throughout the province on Friday.
In Sahiwal, a 10-year-old girl, Ayesha, was electrocuted when she touched a utility pole while playing outside her house during rain. The pole was electrified that caused her instant death.
Tariq, 40, died when the roof of his house collapsed on Dispensary Road owing to the five-hour of incessant rain.
Met office in charge Ijaz Husain Bazmi said Sahiwal received 214mm of rain in 19 hours which had broken the 40-year old record. He said more rain was expected in the next 24 hours.
The rain exposed the performance of the tehsil municipal administration as many city areas were under three to four feet of rainwater. The worst-affected areas were Parnamy Mohallah, Eidgah Mohallah, Karbala Road, Banaat School, Bhutto Nagar, Jahaz Ground and Jinnah Chowk.
District Agriculture Officer Muhammad Farooq said the rain was a blessing for the cotton crop as it would help kill white fly and mealy bug. He said more spell of heavy rains could damage plants.
FAISALABAD: A woman was electrocuted and 10 others sustained injuries when roofs of four houses collapsed due to heavy rain in different parts of the district.
Reports said Azhara Bibi, 50, was electrocuted in Malikpur.
Five people -- Fatima Bibi, 40, Madiha, 12, Arshad Nawaz, Akhter Naveed, 25, and Rab Nawaz, 30 -- sustained injuries when the roof of their houses caved in on Jhang Road in Rasheedabad. They were shifted to the DHQ Hospital.
Sabir Jamal of Rana Park, Sattiana Road, and Irfan Haneef of Chak 296-RB were injured after roofs of their houses collapsed on them. They were admitted to the DHQ Hospital.
Another roof collapse incident took place in Chak 243-RB (Roshanwali), where Zeeshan, his father Muneer Husain and sister Shumaila sustained injuries. The Rescue 1122 officials shifted them to the DHQ Hospital where their condition was stated to be stable.
VEHARI: At least 10 people were injured and six mud houses caved in here owing to heavy rain.
Among the injured were Ghulam Nabi, Imran and Sharif of Chak 9-11/WB, Waseem and Nazeer of Thingi Colony and Khadim of Machiwal.
The rain started on Thursday night and continued till Friday morning, inundating various low-lying localities in
Vehari and other towns of the district.
The College Town, Muslim Town, Danywal, Chak 9-11/WB, Chak 24/WB, People’s Colony and Luddan were the worst-hit areas.
Most of the city areas were without electricity till the filing of this report on Friday evening.
SIALKOT: Eight more villages in Bajwat were submerged on Friday due to flood in Tavi following a fresh spell of heavy rain in the Sialkot region.
The people of Bajwat villages continued shifting along with their cattle to safer places due to flood threats in rivers Chenab and Tavi.
The rain and sewerage water entered most of the houses, shops and factories in congested areas of Sialkot, including New Mianapura, Greenwood Street, Nihal Chand Street, Prem Nagar, Pooran Nagar, Nishat Park, Muhammadpura, Pakpura, Hajipura, Naikapura, Rangpura, Fatehgarh, Pakka Garha and Chowk Dara Araiyaan.
All rivers and seasonal nullahs -- Nullah Dek near Pasrur, Nullah Aik and Nullah Palkhu near Sialkot -- were overflowing because of heavy rains in Sialkot and all catchment areas.
The power supply remained suspended for several hours in urban and rural areas of Sialkot, Daska, Sambrial and Pasrur tehsils.
Sialkot DCO Atta Muhammad Khan said departments concerned had been asked to monitor the flood situation round the clock.
The Met office forecast more rains in Sialkot during the next 24 hours.