Tragedy strikes: Four killed, dozens injured in weather-related incidents

HARIPUR/ KOHAT/ BUNER:

Inclement weather combined with poor infrastructure caused four fatalities in northern parts of the province on Friday evening.

Three of a family were killed while a dozen were injured after a powerful windstorm hit Haripur.

According to the police, powerful winds caused the roof of an under-construction mosque to fall on a nearby house in Khalabat Township, causing part of the house to collapse. The accident caused the roof of the house to cave in, killing a woman and her two minor children. Two others from the same family also sustained severe injuries.

Those killed were identified as Rizwana Bibi, 25, her two-year-old daughter Sadia and six-month-old son Tayyab. Her father Akram and mother Gulshan Bibi were injured. Police said Rizwana was married and living in Ghazi and had come to spend a few days with her parents when the fatal accident occurred.

Blackout

Power supply to most parts of Haripur remained suspended on Friday as electricity poles were uprooted and cables snapped in the storm.

Heavy rain and strong winds lashed the district at 9pm. Power was restored in the early hours of Saturday to some of the areas when Peshawar Electric Supply Company’s (Pesco) staff made repairs and helped turn the power back on. According to Pesco, over two dozen poles were uprooted and several power transformers have been damaged.

The storm ripped out trees and signage, causing some injuries. The debris blocked several roads, causing the suspension of traffic.

Police sources said several vehicles were also damaged in makeshift car parks in Haripur.

Swept away

The body of a six-year-old boy was swept away in a seasonal stream in Dagai, Khadokhel tehsil in Buner district after the rain on Friday evening. Muhammad Laiq’s body was later recovered on Saturday near Totalai town.

Locals said rainwater flood the stream, taking the child with its strong current. They said they tried to rescue Laiq but he drowned. The next day his body was recovered near Totalai and Laiq was laid to rest in Dagai.

Swimming accident

Meanwhile, three boys drowned in the Indus River when they went swimming at Toi Bandha in Gumbat, Kohat on Friday. The remains of one were recovered on Saturday.

Gumbat SHO Razi Khan said some residents of Kohat Development Authority came to them on Saturday and reported that their sons Muhammad Yad, Muhammad Owais and Muhammad Omair had gone for a picnic to Toi Bandha on Friday morning and did not return home that day. In response to the complaint, Khan said the police started searching the area and learnt that three boys had drowned at 10am on Friday while swimming in the river.

Khan said the search of the bodies is under way while the remains of Yad have been recovered as yet.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 24^th, 2014.