Rain kills 8 in Punjab, K-P

At least 8 people, including two minors belonging to the same family, died and several others sustained injured in rain-related incidents in different parts of the country, officials and rescuers said on Tuesday.

Intermittent monsoon showers continued to pummel Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, inundating the low-lying areas, damaging houses and causing road accidents. A light rain was also reported from Karachi and other parts of Sindh.

The intermittent rains and flash floods in the hilly areas claimed six lives in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while seven persons were injured in different rain-related incidents, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said.

Two children of a family died in their sleep, while three other children and the house-owner and his wife sustained multiple injuries after the roof of their house collapsed in Kamal Khel village of district Kohat due to heavy downpour in the city, the local police said.

Read: Karachi rain misery

The incident happened late at night and due to flash floods in the area the rescue teams were facing difficulties in recovering the bodies, they said, adding however that the injured were taken to safely. The police said that the family belonged to Khyber district and was settled in Kamal Khel village here.

The police said that the roof of a shop collapse in Tehsil Lachi but no loss of life was reported. Other reports indicated that 7 people went missing after being swept away in the rain drain near Kohat. In the Upper Dir district, a tourist vehicle was swept away in the rain drain, killing 2 people.

According to the PDMA, two houses in Dir Upper and one each in Karak and Shangla were partially damaged by the rains. It added that the PDMA control room was working round the clock and the people could call on the PDMA helpline number 1700 in case of any incident.

Five children and their parents were injured when the roof of their house collapsed in China Scheme in Punjab. Punjab Chief Minister Usman Bazdar has directed the city administration and other relevant authorities to remain alert across the province.

In a statement issued here on Tuesday, Chief Minister Buzdar directed the water and sanitation agencies (WASAs) in the province to remain vigilant and ensure the disposal of rainwater from low-lying areas at the earliest.

The chief minister directed the officials to remain available in the field for timely water disposal. He stressed that rainwater should be timely drained from roads, in order to ensur smooth flow of traffic.

The chief minister also directed the Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and Rescue 1122 to be fully alert round-the-clock for prompt relief and rescue operations in case of any untoward incident.

According to Indus River System Authority (IRSA), meanwhile, water inflow in all major rivers jumped to 454,200 cusecs from 397,300 cusecs owing to ongoing rain spell across the country.

It said that inflow in the Indus river at Tarbela jumped to 251,700 cusecs against outflow of 135,000 cusecs. Water level in the Indus River at Tarbela dam was 1,470.21 feet, which was 86.21 feet higher than its dead level of 1,386 feet.

Similarly, inflow in the Jhelum River at Mangla was recorded as 55,100 cusecs against outflow of 10,000 cusecs. The level at Mangla dam was 1,170.20 feet, 132.20 feet higher than its dead level of 1,040 feet.

Moreover, water inflow in the Chenab river at Marala has surged to 61,600 cusecs, while in Kabul river at Nowshera it was recorded as 51,600 cusecs. The inflow of water at Kalabagh, Taunsa and Sukkur was recorded as 210,900, 194,900 and 94,400 cusecs respectively.

 

(WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM APP)