Heavy rain batters Punjab; 14 dead

Three children among five killed in Kot Radha Kishan

LAHORE:

At least 14 people, including four labourers, died as heavy rains continue to wreak havoc across Punjab.

Four labourers lost their lives when the roof of a warehouse collapsed in Afzal Colony on Friday. The roof of the warehouse of goods transportation company located near Saggian Bridge caved-in due to heavy rains. Reportedly, the structure was made of girders, wood sticks and mud. After the heavy rain, the water gathered on the roof and eventually it collapsed during the daytime.

Four victims were trapped under debris. Nearby people called the rescue teams. They rushed to the spot on information and launched the rescue operation. The victims were evacuated and shifted to a nearby hospital where doctors pronounced them dead on arrival.

As the operation continued, senior officers including the Lahore commissioner also reached the spot and reviewed the on-going rescue operation.

After the evacuation of four victims, the watchman told rescuers that a guest had also on a visit to the victims at night. He might have also been trapped under the debris. On which the search for another victim was launched. Cranes of Rescue 1122 were brought in for an operation.

They started removing the debris in search of the last victim. The victims who were evacuated and declared dead included Azmat, Khalil and Asif. One of the deceased belonged to Karak while three people were from Buner.

In Kot Radha Kishan, five people including three children were killed when the roof of a house collapsed in Bhotan Poroman area. The bodies were recovered from the debris by the rescue teams and shifted to a nearby hospital for autopsy.

Rescue sources said two children lost their lives when the roof of a house in Wazirabad collapsed. A youth was electrocuted in Shangla Hills area when he touched an electric pole submerged in heavy rain. A man was also electrocuted in Nankana Sahib. In Arifwala, a 22-year-old woman suffered an electric shock and died on the spot. In an incident of roof collapse, four people were injured near Rahbar Ada in Dholanwal.

The roof of a dilapidated house collapsed injuring four people. Rescue teams reached the spot on information and launched the rescue operation. Two victims had suffered minor injuries and they were discharged after first aid. Two other victims were shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment.

In another incident near Mansoora in Ittefaq Town, a tractor-trolley carrying bricks overturned in a 12-foot wide hole on the road. Resultantly, sewerage line, water supply were affected besides causing a nuisance to commuters and pedestrians. On August 20, at least four members of a family died and five others were left injured in an incident of roof collapse in Harbancepura.

A 30-foot long wall of a house collapsed near Dera Ashfaq Chaudhry Ibrahim Colony near Pathano Wali Mosque in Harbancepura.Resultantly, at least seven people were trapped under the debris. Nearby people called the rescue teams. The rescuers launched the operation and shifted the bodies to a nearby hospital after removing the debris.

Five victims were evacuated and shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment where two victims were pronounced dead on arrival. The search for the rest of the victims was launched. At least 25 rescuers and eight rescue vehicles took part in the operation. It took them around one and a half hour to complete the operation.

The trapped victims were also evacuated and shifted to a nearby hospital where doctors pronounced both of them dead on arrival.

The deceased were identified as Sabir Habibullah 31, Azam Khan 35, Aslam Khan and seven-year-old Kamran Khan.

The injured were identified as Sahil Habibullah 18, Qamar Bibi 25, Fatima Habibullah 15, Habibullah 51 and Fareeda Bibi, 60.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 29^th, 2020.