City wrecked by cloudburst; 20 dead
People carry sacks of vegetables as they wade through a flooded market after heavy rainfall lashed the provincial capital. Photo: AFP
Heavy rain and thunderstorm left at least 20 people dead across Punjab and flooded the chowks, roads and underpasses on Monday.
The victims died because of electric shock, building collapse, lightning and drowning.
According to data compiled by Rescue 1122, at least 10 people were injured in incidents of roof collapse in Lahore, three in Chiniot and one in Sheikhupura.
Lightning claimed five lives in Narowal and two in Sheikhupura. At least seven people were injured by lightning. At least seven people died of drowning
and as many as 54 were injured by electric shock during the rain.
In Soye Asal, four people were injured when the wooden roof of their home collapsed. Rescue teams saved them by removing the debris. Another person was injured in a roof collapse incident in Maraka Quarters.
In an incident of electrocution in Township, a teenage boy died and another was injured after after a wire fell into rainwater.
Hamza Yousaf,15, died during treatment in hospital.
The heavy downpour that begun overnight in the provincial capital and continued till the morning inundated main roads and chowks.
The thunderstorm also uprooted trees that fell on some thoroughfares.
The inundation of Club Chowk, Mubeen Shaheed Underpass and Kalma Chowk Underpass affected the flow of traffic.
The rain also damaged a road in Gulberg and a tree fell on the Canal Road near Jail Road.
Traffic SP Asif Siddique visited low lying areas, including Canal Road, Moon Market, Karim Block, Multan Road, Mughalpura, GT Road, Lower Mall, Lytton Road, Circular Road, Saggian, Outfall Road, Jain Mandar, Mobeen Shaheed Underpass, Gulberg and Johar Town.
Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Mustansir Feroz said additional wardens had been deployed to maintain flow of traffic and help the commutes whose vehicles were stranded. IG Punjab Usman Anwar said the police were in contact with the PDMA regarding rescue and relief activities. In view of the possibility of more rains, the police personnel should be on high alert and respond immediately in case of accidents, he added.
The IG said the police were helping WASA and other institutions in draining water from roads affected by the heavy and continuous rain.
The pre-monsoon rain in Lahore set a record. The low lying areas and roads presented the appearance of ponds on Monday.
Vehicles remained stuck because of the accumulation of several feet of water in the streets.
Rainwater also entered houses in the affected areas. Due to the breach of a drain in Sabzazar, the water entered houses,causing severe problems for residents.
The worst affected were the citizens going to offices and businesses. A resident said rain for a few hours had exposed the performance of the development institutions. The highest rainfall in Lahore was recorded at 260mm at the airport, followed by 256mm at Lakshmi Chowk.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 27th, 2023.