Two die as rain lashes K-P

At least 40 injured, casualties reported in Mardan, Charsadda

SWABI/ NOWSHERA/ PESHAWAR/ CHARSADDA/ MARDAN/ JAMRUD: At least two people died in the provincial capital and around 40 others injured as heavy rains lashed the province. There were casualties reported in Charsadda and Mardan as well.

In the provincial capital, a building collapsed due to the inclement weather, said Lady Reading Hospital Public Relations Officer (PRO) Zulfiqar Babakhel.

He added the bodies received at LRH were those of 30-year-old Jehangir Khan, a resident of Duran Pur, and two-year-old child Umer Khan from Khazana area.

Babakhel added the injured included 14 women, 12 men and 14 children who came to the medical facility from different parts of the city. The roofs and boundary walls of houses collapsed on Kohat Road, Charsadda Road, Faqir Kalay, Guldara Chowk, Hussain Chowk, Phase-III Chowk, Lahori Gate, Arbab Road, Kakshal, Board Bazaar, Bashir Abad, and Patang Chowk, said Rescue 1122 Spokesperson Bilal Ahmad.

He added the Rescue 1122 director general imposed a complete emergency due to the heavy storms. “Some 14 roofs collapsed in Peshawar and Mardan and 20 people were injured, while two died,” Faizi confirmed.



He added the storm also caused a high tension electricity line to collapse in Hussain Chowk area.

The storm caused billboards to fall onto University Road from building tops, damaging vehicles. In the rural areas of the city, standing crops, especially plum orchards, were affected, inflicting heavy losses to farmers.



“Wind speed was recorded at 98 km/h,” said an official of the Met office. He added 24 millimetres of rain fell on the city. “The Met office had already predicted pre-monsoon rains over upper parts of the country from Wednesday till Friday.”

The official added currents are penetrating upper Punjab and Kashmir and a fresh westerly wave is also likely to approach upper parts of the country.

The Met office added rain and dust/thundershowers are expected at scattered places in Peshawar, Mardan, Kohat divisions, the federal capital and other parts of Punjab province under such conditions.

The official added rain/thunderstorms with gusty winds were also expected in scattered areas of Malakand, Hazara, Fata, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir from Wednesday evening to Friday. He added two solid pre-monsoon rains are likely to hit the country in the coming week.



Due to the dilapidated sewerage system of the city, some main roads and streets of Peshawar turned into rivulets, causing traffic jams. The rainwater spilled onto roads and markets in Pipal Mandi, Ganj, Lahore Gate and Gulbahar and even onto University Road. Water also overflowed onto GT Road near the Suri Pul and the route was blocked for several hours. “Due to roadblocks and water on the roads, Rescue 1122 faced problems in its activities,” said Faizi.

Three injured in Charsadda

A woman and two children were injured in the storm in Utmanzai area of Charsadda district. Officials at the district headquarters hospital said they received an injured woman and two children – all of whom are now stable.

Emergency in Mardan

Three emergency cases were reported in Mardan district, said Rescue 1122 officials. Four people were injured in these incidents a man, two women and a child. The officials said one of the injured was taken to a medical complex for treatment.

Storm and rains also lashed Swabi and Nowshera, while in Jamrud, Khyber Agency, roofs and walls of several houses collapsed in Shah Kas, Ali Masjid and Ghundai areas. No injuries were reported.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 16^th, 2016.