Death toll from city rains rises to 13

LAHORE:

At least 13 people died in accidents caused by rains during last week in the provincial capital.

The torrential rains starting from Wednesday and continuing with intervals wreaked havoc in the city. Besides disrupting routine life and flow of traffic, rain-related accidents caused the fatalities and over two dozen injuries.

On Sunday, a 10-year-old boy died and four people were injured in two incidents of roof collapse.

In an incident reported from Mamhood Booti, the victim was present near Shahgor Peer Darbar when the roof of his home collapsed. Ameer Ali was buried under the debris.

He was shifted to Shalimar Hospital but could not survive.

The other roof collapse incident was reported from near Ibrahim Colony. The victims were present in their home when its roof collapsed. The victims suffered minor injuries.

On Saturday, a child had died and eight women injured in three incidents of roof collapse.

In Kahna, an eight-year-old child died after being trapped under debris. Zain suffered severe injuries that claimed his life.

In Shahdara, at least five women were injured in a roof collapse incident. They included Sonia, Tania, Kaneez and Dua Fatima. The third incident was reported in Nishter Town where three women were injured after a roof collapsed. The injured, Alia, Amina and Sadia, were shifted to nearby hospitals. The condition of two of the injured was said to be critical.

Two days earlier, four people had died in the rain-related accidents. At least three incidents of building collapse in the provincial capital had also left 16 people injured.

A man and his three daughters died and another daughter was injured after a roof collapsed in Chungi Amar Sadhu.

As the roof collapsed, the five family members were buried under the debris. Rescue 1122 teams faced difficulties in their work because of continuing heavy downpour and inundation of the locality.

Javed Iqbal, 40, Aimen, four, Zara, six and Azan, eight, died in the incident.

In another incident, a wall of the Mozang Hospital collapsed over attendants of patients and visitors sitting in the waiting area. At least 14 people were injured in the incident.

The third incident was reported in Gujjar Pura where a 52-year-old man was injured after a roof collapsed over him. Bashir Majeed was present under the roof made of bamboo sticks, red clay and TR guarders. He was shifted to the Mayo Hospital by a rescue team.

On Wednesday, at least seven people, including two women and two children, had died in rain-related accidents.

Three victims died of electrocution in rainwater, three in roof collapse and one due to drowning.

The first case of the day was reported in Bosstan Colony at around 7am, where a 25-year-old man was passing by in a street filled with rainwater when he suffered an electric shock.

He was shifted to the Lahore General Hospital but he died.

The deceased was identified as Usman Afzal.

Another incident of electrocution was reported near Kashmir Gate, in which a 55-year-old woman died. Heavy rainwater had pooled in a street which the victim was passing when she suffered a shock. She was shifted to Nawaz Sharif Hospital but she passed away.

The third case of electrocution case was reported at around 12:45pm near Pakistan Mint, where a 17-year-old boy touched an electric pole. He suffered an electric shock and died on the spot. The victim was identified as Ehtisham Fiyaz.

A couple and their five-year-old child died in an incident of roof collapse near Do Moria Pul. Nawazish Ali, 40, his wife Mahwish, 40, and son were in their house when its roof collapsed. Reportedly, the roof was in a dilapidated condition that could not sustain the rain.

Local residents called rescue teams that removed the debris and shifted the victims to the Mayo Hospital where they were pronounced dead.

The drowning incident was reported near Thokar Niaz Beg where 11-year-old Muhammad Wali fell into a ditch at a construction site.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 10^th, 2023.