Nine die in heavy downpour, hailstorm

HYDRABAD:

Tragic incidents of lightning strikes and a wall collapse during rain and hailstorms in Tharparkar and Jamshoro districts respectively, on Tuesday, have claimed nine lives and left over a dozen people injured.

Reportedly, six men who were walking on a Yatra to attend the festival of Hindu community's spiritual figure Fakir Parbraham were killed by lightning near Mithi Town late on Monday night.

Meanwhile, nine other men were reportedly injured in the same incident.

The deceased were identified as Vivek Lohano, Santosh Sonar, Govind Sonar, Lalu Kolhi, Bhelji Kolhi, and Veelo.

The town of Mithi remained shut on Tuesday to mourn the deaths, following a call from local traders.

The desert region experienced a torrential downpour, with the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) recording 26 millimeters of rain from Tuesday morning until 5pm. A tower supporting the main transmission cable of the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) also fell near Mithi, resulting in a 14-hour suspension of power supply to Mithi, Diplo, and Islamkot. The bypass road connecting Mithi and Islamkot was closed to traffic due to fallen cables obstructing the road.

Meanwhile, three children, 10-year-old M. Yousuf, eight-year-old Farhan and seven-year-old Asma Farhan, died after a house wall collapsed on them while they were playing near the Babbar Stop area in Kotri, Jamshoro.

The bodies were taken to Bilawal Medical Hospital in Kotri. Moreover, approximately 10 people sustained injuries during the hailstorm in Kotri, which witnessed sporadic spells of heavy and light downpours throughout the morning.

The PMD recorded 13mm of rain in Hyderabad, 11mm in Benazirabad, and 6mm in Larkana. The pre-monsoon showers brought pleasant weather and reduced the temperature but widespread power outages were reported throughout the day.

In the Hyderabad district alone, 53 electric feeders of 11 KV were shut down in the morning. The number later rose to 109 feeders, and by the afternoon, HESCO's spokesman announced that all 126 feeders were shut down mainly for safety reasons.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 31^st, 2023.