Strong winds and heavy rains wreaked havoc in several districts, resulting in the loss of nine lives and leaving more than 15 people injured in Punjab.
The inclement weather caused roofs and walls to collapse and uprooted trees, causing casualties and damage. Additionally, over 200 feeders of the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) tripped, leaving people without electricity for hours. The urban areas also faced water shortage because of the disruption of power supply.
At least four children were killed in Mianwali, where a house wall collapsed in the Chakrala area due to torrential rain. Three other children were injured and trapped under the debris.
The victims were on their way to a mosque to study the Holy Quran. The deceased children included two sisters.
In another incident, two women died and two others were injured when the dilapidated roof of a room collapsed in the suburb of Chiniot. Ameer, 55, and Ayesha Bibi, 45, were killed and Fatima, 80, and Naseem Bibi, 60, injured.
Two youths were injured when a wall of a mosque collapsed in Rehmanabad, while three teenage siblings were injured when a roof collapsed in Kamalpur.
In the Shakar area of Jhang, Mumtaz Bibi, a nomad from Vehari, and her 10-year-old grandson Adnan were buried under debris as a roof collapsed during storm.
The areas worst affected by the rain and storm were Mianwali, Bhakkar, Toba Tek Singh, Sargodha, Multan, Dera Ismail Khan, Isa Khel, Pakpattan, Bahawalnagar, Sangla Hill, Sheikhupura, Sahiwal, Mian Chunnu, Okara and Lahore.
The temperature dropped significantly as a result of the rain, falling from 36 to 27 degrees in the city in the morning and from the previous day’s 40 to 36 degrees in the afternoon.
The Met office forecast storm and clouds in Lahore and several other areas.
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) also issued an alert in this regard..
In Lahore, the winds reached a speed of 125km per hour, uprooting weak trees and causing traffic problems on The Mall and The Aiwan-e-Sanat-o-Tijarat Road.
The tripping of feeders resulted in prolonged power outages in many areas. The Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) removed the fallen trees and restored traffic flow.
In view of the situation, the Water and Sanitation Agency staff and machinery were put on high alert. All disposal stations were instructed to keep power generators operational on standby.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 19th, 2023.
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